AUTHORITIES recovered on Wednesday, January 23, another firearm that was allegedly used by one of the suspects in the killing of Ako Bicol party-list representative Rodel Batocabe.

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Director Amador Corpus said the caliber 45 pistol was recovered in a fishpond in Purok 3, Barangay Busay in Ligao City. It contains a magazine loaded with 10 live ammunitions.

The said firearm will be submitted to the Crime Laboratory for ballistic and cross matching examination.

Corpus said the search in the said area stemmed from the statement of Christopher Naval, who said he disposed of the firearm in the pond.

Naval, one of the seven suspects in Batocabe’s shooting, said the recovered firearm was one of the firearms used by Henry Yuson, one of the self-confessed gunmen.

Corpus said Yuson carried two firearms during the said incident, the caliber 45 which was unregistered and a licensed caliber 40.

Citing the suspects’ statements, Corpus said Yuson fired the caliber 45 first to shoot Batocabe but when it failed, he used his registered caliber 40.

Earlier, PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde said the 11 bullet shells and five slugs which were recovered in the area where Batocabe was killed matched with the ballistic records of Yuson’s licensed caliber 40 firearm.

Yuson’s caliber 40, which he said he dismantled and disposed of in the river, has yet to be recovered.

All the six suspects in the assassination of Batocabe on December 22 in Daraga, Albay have surrendered to the police.

Aside from Yuson’s caliber 45, authorities also recovered the caliber 45 pistol used by the other gunman, Rolando Arimado.

Arimado, after the killing, reportedly handed over the firearm to another suspect, Emmanuel Rosello, who disposed of it in his house’s septic tank. (SunStar Philippines)