Alvaro’s ma asks NBI to do paraffin test on slain son

The mother of suspected drug lord Alvaro ‘Barok’ Alvaro shown leaving the Danao City police precinct after her son Medz was shot down in a police operation. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

The mother of alleged drug lord Alvaro “Barok” Alvaro asked the regional National Bureau of Investigation (NBI-7) to conduct a paraffin test on her dead son Medz Alvaro who died in a shootout with police during a buy-bust operation in Danao City last Friday.

“Matan-aw og klaro ug nakapaboto ang bata tungod kuno kay dunay armas akong anak. Ako gyud ipaklaro kung tinuod ba gyud akong giingon. Para nako, wala nay armas (akong anak) (This will clearly determine if my son fired a gun because they said he had a gun. I wanted to set things clear that my belief is true. For me, my son did have a firearm),” Emma Alvaro told reporters.

Emma Alvaro met with NBI Regional Director Patricio Bernales Jr. at past 10 a.m. yesterday to ask for their assistance.

Bernales said they may conduct the test but the request must come from the regional Commission on Human Rights who conducted the investigation.
Bernales said he also told the mother to double check with the police if an earlier paraffin test was done.

Mrs. Alvaro went to see the CHR officials informing them that she wanted to have a paraffin test done on her son.

Leo Villarino, chief investigator of CHR-7, said they can request the NBI to conduct the paraffin test.

But he said it isn’t 100 percent conclusive since Medz’s remains were already embalmed and other chemicals may have been applied on the hands.

A paraffin test is done to determine if there are residues of powder nitrate on the hands, an indication that a person had fired a gun.

Villarino said the test should have been done immediately after the shootout.

He said they are still waiting for the witnesses that Emma promised to produce for their investigation to prosper.

The Danao City police precinct is still on alert for retaliation from the Alvaro group more than a week after Medz’s death.

Senior Insp. Alejandro Batobalonos, Danao City police chief, said they continue to receive threats.

The last threat he received was sent last Wednesday afternoon in which the sender threatened that one of the police officers will die to avenge Medz’s death.

“I hope that doesn’t happen. I will give them war if they do it,” he said.

Mrs. Alvaro denied her family threatened the police.

“Unsa may among mahimo ana? Kinsa man mi? (What can we do about it? Who are we to do that)?” she told reporters. She said she no longer trusts the police.

Mrs. Alvaro said she wants to push through with the case and is persistent to clear their names and seek justice for her son.

A charge of grave threat may be filed today against her at the Danao City prosecutor’s office after she allegedly threatened to have the Danao City police killed.