PSBank, whose branch in Los Banos was guarded by the primary suspect in the UPLB student slay case, has shed more light into the controversial case.
In a statement, PSBank said it found out that the firearm issued to suspect Lester Ivan Lopez Rivera had "apparently [been] used."
"His service firearm was illegally brought out of bank premises and apparently used due to empty shells found inside the firearm’s cylinder. A police blotter was filed and an investigation on him was initiated," PSBank said in a statement sent to Yahoo! Southeast Asia.
"The firearm has since been turned over to the Los Banos police for ballistic examination, along with a photocopy of the guards’ logbook," the bank added.
Rivera, arrested on Friday, along with tricycle driver Percival de Guzman, will be charged with robbery and homicide, following the killing of 19-year-old UPLB student Given Grace Cebanico.
Conflicting reports say Cebanico was raped before she was shot, her body dumped near the Institute of Plant Breeding (IBP) road in UPLB. Cebanico's internment had been set Tuesday in her hometown Binangonan, Rizal.
The bank has clarified Rivera was not their direct hire, but was an employee of Grandeur Security and Services Corporation.
"Both PSBank and the security agency have been fully cooperating with police authorities regarding this incident," the bank added.
"PSBank condemns the killing of UPLB student Ms. Given Grace Cebanico and wishes to extend its sincerest sympathies to her family and friends," PSBank also said.
