Quezon City policeman fatally shot outside his residence

By Ronron
September 30, 2007

An official of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) was found with a fatal gunshot wound near his chest at his residence late Saturday night, police said yesterday.

QCPD Criminal Investigation Unit head Supt. Franklin Mabanag said Station 8 commander Supt. Jose Garcia, 51, was declared dead on arrival at the Dr. Miguel Malvar Medical Foundation due to a lone gunshot wound he sustained at around 11pm outside his house in Barangay Pasong Tamo, Quezon City.

Mabanag said Garcia was found with a gunshot wound on his left chest near his shoulder after he went to the back of his house on No. 49 Nawasa Road, Area 5, Veterans Village supposedly to meet someone.

“We are not yet ruling out suicide or an involvement of another person. We are still investigating the case,” Mabanag said in a phone interview.

Mabanag said the basis for considering the possibility of self-infliction is the fact that Garcia’s caliber 45 service firearm was found with him at the crime scene, and the bullet that pierced through him is of a caliber 45’s.

But they are not ruling out the possible involvement of another person because the smudges (gunpowder burns) were located about a foot away from Garcia’s body and there was presence of suspected footprints of another person.

Mabanag noted that the rear of Garcia’s residence was also accessible to outsiders because it also has a gate.

If the suicide angle is unproven by scene of the crime operatives, Mabanag said it is highly likely that the incident “is in line with his (Garcia) work,” noting that prior to leaving he house, Garcia was scanning some case folders.

Mabanag said Garcia lives only at said house with his sister and his 15-year-old son.

He said Garcia was wearing a pair of short pants and polo shirt at the time./DMS