Four co-workers of slain caretaker undergo paraffin test

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Police subjected four co-workers of a slain caretaker of a private property in Barangay Alangilan here to paraffin test last Monday.

This, after the live-in partner of 44-year-old Rene Mateo tagged them in the killing, according to Captain John Christipher Masangkay, head of Police Station 5.

Masangkay, however, said that Mateo’s four co-workers were not considered persons of interest or suspects until the results of the paraffin test come out.

While it is not admissible as evidence in court, paraffin test is a kind of forensic examination in which a paraffin cast of the hand of a person suspected of firing a gun is subjected to chemical analysis to determine the presence of gunpowder particles.

Masangkay said they were cooperative with the police in the investigation, as they willingly underwent the said test. They also denied the accusations against them.

Mateo was on his way home on board his motorcycle when he was shot by unidentified perpetrator/s last Sunday.

Masangkay earlier said that there were no witnesses, since the property was very big and the offices were far from the gate where the incident happened. There was also no closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera installed in the area.

Masangkay said they are initially looking into a misunderstanding with his co-workers as possible motive in the incident.

“Based abi sa live-in partner ka victim ba daw may hisa-hisa daw sa ubrahan niya,” the station commander added.

However, he said they could not establish such motive yet, since the management and the victim’s other co-workers told the police that they have a good relationship in the office.

Masangkay said the four co-workers also had no criminal record. Investigation is ongoing.