DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The murder case against Superintendent Leonardo Felonia, the former chief of the Philippine National Police’s Regional Intelligence Unit (RIU) in Southern Mindanao, took a twist when the gun allegedly used to kill Cebu hotelier Richard King failed to match the forensic results from the murder scene.
Senior Supt. Aaron Aquino, head of the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) King, said the gun presented by the self-confessed gunman as the murder weapon was sent to Camp Crame for cross-matching with evidence gathered from the crime scene here during the June murder of the businessman.
“However, the result of the cross matching showed that the gun presented by self-confessed gunman Paul Dave Molina Labang alias ‘Bulilit,’…tested negative,” Aquino told reporters here on Tuesday.
Instead, it matched forensic findings in three killings in the cities of Naga and Quezon and in a Bicol province, he added.
“It was positive of being used in three killings in Luzon,” Aquino said.
He said the Southern Mindanao police would be conducting a profiling of the three victims to determine if these could be linked to the King murder.
Labang earlier claimed the .45 caliber pistol loaded with 14 live bullets in two magazines, which was seized from him at the time of his arrest, was the firearm he used in killing King, Aquino said.
“We have to see if the three killings were also high profile cases,” Aquino said, adding that there was a possibility they could get further leads to the King murder case from the three slain victims in Luzon.
Labang was among the suspects facing murder charges now for allegedly killing King. The other suspects are Rommel Escote dela Cerna, the confessed lookout; Rodel Escote dela Cerna, Rommel’s brother and confessed getaway motorcycle driver.
Felonia was dragged into the killing by Labang who said the police official ordered King’s killing.
The suspects are being kept in a jail here while Felonia is under custody of the PNP Intelligence Group in Camp Crame.
With the approval of his inclusion in the formal charge sheet, Felonia would be brought back to face the trial here.
RELATED STORIES
Businessman Richard King shot dead in Davao City