Cops await paraffin test results in colleague’s slay

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

 

BACOLOD City – The Cadiz City Police Station in Negros Occidental is still waiting for the results of the paraffin test conducted on their colleague and a police asset.

Police requested the paraffin test after the death of Staff Sergeant Bernie Sales, 37, who figured in a commotion with Beverly Latosa, 25, while they were drinking liquor Thursday last week.

Master Sergeant John Aldrich Lucero, chief investigator of Cadiz City Police Station, said they believed there’s foul play in Sales’ death because of some circumstances, prompting them to file homicide charges against Latosa.

Lucero said there were witnesses who saw Sales and Latosa grapple for the victim’s service firearm, a .9mm caliber pistol.

“Nag agaway sila meaning may isa gid nga naka agaw kag nakapalupok,” he added.

Lucero said that “whether Latosa’s test results will turn out to be negative, we already filed the case.

Latosa, according to Lucero, has earlier denied that she shot Sales, who was assigned to Sagay City Police Station.

“It’s up to the court to decide on the matter, since may mga factors man na kung ngaa ga negative sa test,” Lucero said.

While a paraffin test could establish the presence or absence of gunpowder nitrates on the hand or any body part, it cannot establish that the source of the nitrate was the discharge of firearms. Hence, a paraffin test cannot be considered as conclusive proof that a person may have fired a gun as nitrates could be transferred to a non-shooter or a bystander who stands close to the crime scene.