Eleven out of the 19 New People’s Army rebels killed in the April 19 clash with the 15th Infantry Battalion in Toboso, Negros Occidental tested positive for gunpowder residue, Col. Reynaldo Calaoa, Negros Island Region Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Forensic Unit chief, said on Thursday, May 21.
This is an "indication" that the 11 indeed fired their weapons against troops of the Philippine Army's 19th Infantry Battalion, he said at a National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) press conference at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
He declined to say who among the 19 tested positive for gunpowder residue, pending completion of the investigation.
Slain rebels who tested negative, meanwhile, could be "false negatives," which can be influenced by the exposure of the bodies to water, he said.
He also noted that most of the bodies were immersed in water, including their hands.
Another factor being considered is the distance of the gun muzzle from the hands of the rebels. As the slain NPA rebels were carrying rifles, the muzzle of these weapons was further away from their hands compared to the shorter handguns, he said.
Other factors cited include moisture, a high amount of which often results in lesser gunpowder residues; and the direction of the wind, making it possible for gunpowder residues not to reach the hands of the slain NPAs.*
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