Failon makes first visit to NBI
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 04/29/2009 1:22 PM
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ABS-CBN news anchor Ted Failon made his first visit to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) a week after his wife, Trinidad Arteche-Etong, was cremated.
Radio dzMM reported that Failon arrived at the NBI National Capital Region (NCR) office around 10 a.m. with four lawyers.
The report said Failon did not face the media and went straight to the office of NBI-NCR director Edward Villarta.
Radio dzMM's Edwin Sebidal said he received information that Failon will be "re-interviewed" by Villarta, as part of the NBI's ongoing investigation into the new anchor's death.
Ric Diaz, NBI's spokesman on the Etong case, had said they will try to finish the re-interview of all the people involved in the Etong case this week.
He said composite forensic teams from the NBI and the Philippine National Police will re-examine the gun, slug and bullet shell involved in Etong's death.
"Kapag nag-agree na ang karamihan sa mga findings ng aming forensic teams ay hindi magtatagal magkakaroon na tayo ng findings," Diaz told radio dzMM.
The NBI was set to interview Failon's household members, including Mrs. Etong's sister, Pamela Arteche-Trinchera.
Failon and the household members have been charged by the Quezon City Police District with obstruction of justice for their alleged resistance to cooperate in the investigations.
The remains of Failon's wife were cremated last week at the Arlington Memorial Chapel in Quezon City.
Last week, forensic pathologist Raquel Fortun said that Failon's wife most likely committed suicide, based on the autopsy she conducted on Mrs. Etong.
Leaning to suicide
Fortun said Etong was shot at very close range judging by the soot deposits found in the wound. She explained that smudging occurs if the gun’s muzzle is very close to the skin.
“Upon careful examination of the entrance wound, there were abundant soot deposits or carbon deposits. This is what's commonly known as smudging. This occurs if the muzzle is very close right or next to the skin. Soot deposits were found way inside the depth of wound. We would classify this as close range of fire,” Fortun announced at a press conference.
“If you have close range fire, this is very much consistent with a suicide and therefore, self inflicted and intentional injury,” she added.
Fortun's assessment backed the opinion of Erwin Erfe, a professor of forensic medicine from the Ateneo de Manila University, who conducted the autopsy with Dr. Jake Ortiz of the Scene of the Crime Operatives last Friday.
Erfe said the autopsy revealed two gunshot wounds on Etong, which are the entry wound on the right temple and the exit wound on her left.
He said further examination of Etong's skull showed the contusion collar on the entry wound is uniformly level. The contusion collar is the wound caused by the bullet trajectory to the human body.
"The contusion collar is very significant because it is the bruise made by the entry of the bullet. This is very significant because her contusion collar was very uniform. What this means is that the gun used was directly perpendicular [to Etong's head.] Pantay na pantay. This shows that it is most likely a suicide," he said in a radio dzMM.
"In my professional opinion, this is most likely a suicide rather than a homicide," he added.
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