Police form special team to probe Dueñas slay

ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to lead a centralized and evidence-based probe into the killing of Dueñas Vice Mayor Aimee Paz Lamasan, as authorities move to fast-track the resolution of the case.

The SIT was activated following the shooting on 30 December 2025, around 7:50 a.m. along Ubay Street in Puerto Real Subdivision, Barangay Tabuc Suba, La Paz district.

ICPO director Police Colonel Kim P. Legada has been designated as SIT commander to ensure unified command, close supervision, and strict adherence to due process.

Legada said the move is meant to bring all investigative efforts under one body and avoid fragmented inquiries. The team is composed of personnel from intelligence, forensic, legal and anti-cybercrime units, allowing police to pursue physical evidence, witness accounts, and digital leads at the same time.

Standard forensic procedures are already underway, including ballistic examination of the recovered firearm and an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. Investigators have also requested a paraffin test on the victim’s live-in partner to determine whether the shooting was accidental or due to other circumstances.

Police are also gathering and reviewing closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage from nearby areas to help reconstruct the sequence of events.

Legada appealed for public restraint as the investigation continues, warning against speculation and the spread of unverified information that could derail the probe and add to the family’s burden.

“We ask the public to allow the Special Investigation Team to do its work. All conclusions will be anchored on evidence and due process,” Legada said.

At this stage, police said they are not pursuing claims linking Lamasan’s killing to alleged flood control project anomalies, noting that such allegations remain unsupported by evidence. Legada added that concerns involving flood control projects fall under the mandate of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).

“For now, we are focusing on factual evidence and credible witness statements, not baseless speculation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Pototan Municipal Police Station chief Police Major Bryan Alamo confirmed that Lamasan personally filed a blotter report on 1 December 2025, claiming that an unidentified vehicle had been tailing her.

According to her report, she was often followed by a black SUV whenever she left the municipality. Alamo said the report was immediately relayed to the Dueñas police after her death, and backtracking operations were conducted. The blotter entry has since been turned over to the SIT.

Alamo added that Lamasan’s reported security concerns may explain why she was carrying her service firearm at the time of the incident.

The ICPO said the formation of the SIT underscores its commitment to a thorough, impartial, and methodical investigation. Police added that coordination with the Lamasan family is ongoing and urged anyone with credible information to cooperate as authorities work to establish the full circumstances behind the killing.