ILOILO City – Investigators have ruled out suicide and foul play in the death of Dueñas, Iloilo vice mayor Aimee Paz Lamasan, concluding that she died from an accidental firearm discharge, even as the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) called out the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) for lapses in the initial handling of the case.
DILG secretary Juanito Victor Remulla, who visited the Lamasan family yesterday, said evidence gathered by the police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) showed that Lamasan’s fatal injury resulted from an accidental firing of a firearm, but stressed that the delayed police response undermined proper investigative procedure and fueled public speculation.
“It is fair to conclude that it was death by accident,” Remulla said, citing the location of the incident, the sequence of events, witness accounts, and physical evidence.
“We looked at the location, the sequence of events, the testimonies of those present, and the physical evidence. All of these point to an accidental firing,” he said yesterday.
Remulla, however, flagged the failure of the ICPO to immediately investigate the gunfire incident, noting that police only conducted a probe some 36 hours later, after Lamasan had already died.
“They investigated 36 hours later. When the vice mayor died, that was only when they conducted the investigation,” he said, adding that all gunfire incidents should be investigated at once to preserve evidence and maintain public trust.
According to Remulla, the incident happened around 9 a.m. on December 30, 2025, while Lamasan and her live-in partner, Lord Byron Torrecarion, were discussing the installation of optics on a firearm. He said Lamasan mistakenly handled the gun, triggering an accidental discharge.
“Apparently, it was a race gun with a very light trigger,” Remulla said. “When she picked it up the wrong way, with her thumb on the trigger, it resulted in an accidental fire that entered her abdomen. The hollow-point bullet caused extensive damage, and fragments were left inside her body.”
Remulla also said interviews with Lamasan’s family, including her child, revealed no financial, personal, or political issues that could point to self-harm or violence.
“According to her child whom we interviewed, their financial transactions were okay. There was no quarrel, no problem that would suggest any reason for self-harm or violence,” he said.
Remulla also said Lamasan was not involved in any flood control anomalies, irregular government projects, or political disputes.
“She was not involved in any controversial projects, she had no political issues, and she was close to her mayor,” he said. “There was also no indication that she was suffering from depression.”
Philippine National Police chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., who accompanied Remulla yesterday, echoed the findings, saying there was no evidence to support claims of suicide or homicide.
“There is no suicide and there is no motivation or motive for Vice Mayor Lamasan to be killed by another person,” Nartatez said. “The evidence, the scene of the incident, and the testimonies of people involved all indicate that this was an incidental firing.”
Nartatez described Lamasan as a dedicated public servant with plans for Dueñas, adding that nothing in her background suggested foul play.
He also used the incident to stress the importance of firearm safety.
“A firearm is an instrument of war. Even we, as members of the uniformed service, are very careful in handling guns,” he said. “If you own a firearm, you must undergo proper training and discipline. One wrong move can already result in tragedy.”
Because of the lapses in the initial probe, Remulla said the case was formally turned over to the CIDG, which has since ruled out both suicide and homicide and is now focusing solely on the accidental discharge angle.
He said the review was meant not only to establish the truth in Lamasan’s death but also to ensure accountability and improve police response protocols in future cases./PN
