POLICE investigation into the death of a senior military officer who was found dead in his quarters at Camp Aguinaldo last Friday will be kept private at the request of the Armed Forces and the officer’s family.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo said the PNP Forensic Group is conducting a forensic investigation and examination on the death of Col. Rolando Escalano Jr.
The body of Escalano, of the AFP Judge Advocate General’s Service, was found with a gunshot wound. The military announced his death last Sunday but did not say which part of the body he was hit.
AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the military, in coordination with the PNP, is conducting a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances behind Escalano’s death.
“The PNP is already been providing investigative assistance with respect to the incident,” said Fajardo, adding that police investigators have already “processed” the crime scene.
“But as to the nature and progress of the investigation, the AFP requested that we keep it under wraps, pending the (result of) investigation…Also, the family requested some privacy,” Fajardo added.
Fajardo declined to say if there was foul play, noting the investigation is ongoing.
“Let us wait for the culmination and completion of the investigation with respect to the death of the senior officer of the AFP out of respect to our counterparts (in the military) who requested to conduct the investigation in private,” said Fajardo.
Fajardo said the PNP is in “constant communication” with the Armed Forces in the conduct of the investigation.
“I still have no copy of their findings,” Fajardo said, referring to the autopsy report. “Hopefully, the autopsy result will be released sometime this week.”
Asked whether the officer was subjected to a paraffin test, Fajardo said: “We will have to find out if he was subjected to paraffin test but again it’s (case) under investigation.”
Fajardo could not immediately say if there was closed-circuit television at the crime scene.
