Former Manila cop, companion shot dead at Harrison Plaza parking lot

A former Manila policeman and his companion were shot dead after the victims were attacked by unidentified men at the parking lot of the Harrison Plaza shopping mall in Manila last Friday afternoon.

Superintendent Danilo Abarzosa, Manila Police District (MPD) officer-in-charge, said dismissed MPD policeman Edgardo Castro, 56, died on the spot while Armado Landar, 40, suffered a gunshot wound in the head and died at the Ospital ng Maynila.

The National Bureau of Investigation is also conducting an investigation on the killings of Castro, of Block 03 Lot 13 BF Resort Village, Las Piñas, and Landar of 3373 New Panaderos street, Sta. Ana, Manila.

NBI Deputy Director for Regional Operations Service (DDROS) Reynaldo Esmeralda yesterday said he already directed their National Capital Region (NCR) unit to conduct a separate probe into the murders of Castro and Landar.

Castro was once an special investigator assigned at the NBI-Special Reaction Unit (SRU) under former police captain Reynaldo Jaylo. Several Manila policemen were assigned at the NBI when former Manila police chief now Senator Alfredo Lim was appointed bureau director.

Castro was also part of the defunct Presidential Anti-Illegal Recruitment-Task Force (PAIRTF) that was then headed by Jaylo until it was dissolved last year.

The former policeman and other former operatives of the PAIRTF had recently been arrested by NBI agents for allegedly extorting money from job recruiters.

Investigators said the killings of Castro and Landar could be an offshoot of an aborted drug deal after probers recovered an empty gift-wrapped box which is commonly used by drug dealers in transporting drugs.

Senior Police Officer 3 Danilo Vidad said they also recovered an identification card from Castro indicating that he is a member of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp), but this information has not yet been verified.

Vidad said Castro, who was assigned at the defunct Presidential Anti-Illegal Recruitment Task Force (PAIRTF) before his retirement, arrived at the parking lot on board a metallic gold BMW car with license plates PKX 525, while Landar arrived on board a silver Mitsubishi Adventure with license plates WRU 840.

Senior Police Officer 4 Larry Calaguit of MPD Station 9, said at around 5:40 p.m. the two victims were attacked by unidentified men while they were walking toward their vehicle that was parked between Harrison Plaza and Century Park Sheraton Hotel, located along Vito Cruz street.

Witnesses said Castro was accosted by one of the suspects and when Landar tried to help the retired policeman, another suspect shot him in the head. The other suspect later shot Castro dead.

The suspects immediately boarded a get-away van and escaped. Witnesses failed to get the plate numbers of the vehicle. — Nestor Etolle, Evelyn Macairan