PRO-6 tasks CIDG to lead Lamasan death probe

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The Police Regional Office 6 confirmed on Tuesday, Jan. 6, that it has disbanded the Special Investigation Team (SIT) Lamasan under the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), which was initially tasked to investigate the death of Dueñas, Iloilo Vice Mayor Aimee Paz Lamasan.

PRO-6 Regional Director, PBrig. Gen. Josefino Ligan said the move paved the way for the creation of the Special Investigation Task Group Lamasan at the regional level.

With the reorganization, the ICPO and its director, PCol. Kim Legada will no longer lead the probe, which has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-6.

“There’s a need to elevate the investigation to the regional level because there are circumstances that require the tasking of other units like the Regional Forensic Unit and the Regional Civil Service Unit,” Ligan said.

Ligan stressed that the investigation is being conducted solely to establish the truth and serve the interest of justice.

“We investigate just to investigate. It doesn’t mean na may guilty or what. Normal investigation will come in to ferret [out] the truth. We don’t want any stones left unturned,” he said.

The PRO-6 chief declined to provide further details, saying Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla Jr. and Philippine National Police Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. would address questions during a press conference on Wednesday, Jan. 7.

Over the weekend, the now-defunct SIT Lamasan said it had so far found no evidence indicating foul play in Lamasan’s death.

Police earlier reported that Lamasan allegedly shot herself accidentally at around 7:50 a.m. on Dec. 30, 2025, inside her residence along Ubay Street, Puerto Real de Iloilo Subdivision, Barangay Tabuc Suba, La Paz, Iloilo City.

Her partner, Lord Byron Torrecarion, and her police bodyguard brought her to St. Paul’s Hospital of Iloilo on the same day.

Lamasan died on the afternoon of Dec. 31.

Legada said investigators requested Torrecarion to undergo a paraffin test.

However, police said they did not receive any positive response to the request.

Authorities also said the family declined an autopsy.

Legada added that the police bodyguard who brought Lamasan to the hospital and her 22-year-old daughter have executed sworn affidavits.