Police to probe shootout in ‘Munti’

From thestandard.com.ph:

posted January 18, 2018 at 09:54 pm by Joel E. Zurbano

Authorities are investigating a deadly shooting incident involving members of the National Police and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology Thursday morning in Muntinlupa City.

Killed in the incident were Jail Officers Felino Salazar and Elmer Malindao, both assigned at the BJMP Muntinlupa City; Police Officer 1 Jover John Lardizabal, assigned at the National Capital Region Police Office; and Arnel Rubio, a dismissed police officer.

Salazar and Malindao were rushed to the Medical Center of Muntinlupa but attending physicians declared them dead on arrival due to gunshot wounds in their bodies.

SOCO operatives fromMuntinlupa check one of the four died, including two BJMP Muntinlupa City Jail personnel during an encounter with criminals riding in tandem in Brgy. Tunasan, Muntinlupa City on thursday morning (photo by NORMAN CRUZ)

Southern Police District director Tomas Apolinario said Lardizabal died on the spot while Rubio, who was dismissed from the police force in September 2016 for grave misconduct, also died upon arrival at the Hospital ng Muntinlupa.

The incident took place near Muntinlupa City Jail in Barangay Tunasan around 8:30 a.m., according to Apolinario.

Based on the statements of John Edades, Moldero Sogan and Richard Basiloy, all members of the BJMP Muntinlupa, they were outside their office when they heard successive gunfires nearby.

The three responded and saw their two colleagues—Salazar and Malindao—lying on the pavement with gunshots wounds. They also noticed motorcycle riding men escaping from the crime scene, prompting them to open fire at the fleeing gunmen.

Apolinario said members of the Muntinlupa City police station are now “in the process of determining the involvement of Lardizabal” in the broad daylight shooting. He added his men are also investigating the role of a Bureau of Correction officer identified as Dee Jay Tanael in the incident.

Apolinario said the three BJMP personnel who responded in the scene tagged “Tanael as the motorcycle driver of Rubio when they were about to escape.”

Four short firearms were recovered at the crime scene.

Investigators are still securing footages taken by the closed-circuit television cameras installed in the area which will be used as material evidence.