3 persons of interest eyed in Tagaytay shootout

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines —  A retired police captain and an active policeman are among three people being eyed as persons of interest in an alleged shootout that killed two police officers and a lawyer in Tagaytay, Cavite.

Authorities withheld the identities of the persons of interest, one of whom was reportedly a former member of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

The other policeman was reportedly a batchmate of the slain police captains.

Probers have yet to gather information on the third person of interest.

The three persons of interest were reportedly among 10 people at the scene of the shootout that occurred at around 2 p.m. in a subdivision in Barangay Maitim on Sept. 1.

The task group formed to handle the case has deployed a tracker team to locate these people.

The task group has yet to receive results of the paraffin tests conducted on slain police captains Adrian Binalay of the CIDG-National Capital Region and Tomas Batarao of the Calabarzon police personnel holding accounting section, as well as on the two men who were apprehended shortly after the shootout.

The two men, Elver Mabuti and alleged retired sheriff Benedicto Herbron, were ordered release from police custody for further investigation.

Probers are checking information that the slain police captains were accompanied by three policemen when they went to Prime Peak Subdivision, to inquire about a property.

The fatalities were reportedly in a car with the landowner and the land dealer, while their companions were in another car.

The other fatality, lawyer Denis Santos, was reportedly accompanied by Mabuti and Hebron.

Reports said Binalay and his group ignored a security guard who prevented them from entering the subdivision.

At that point, the group of Santos arrived and a shootout ensued.