Suspect in murder of Batangas village chief identified

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines — One of two suspects in the murder of a barangay captain in Sto. Tomas, Batangas has been identified, police reported yesterday.

Probers withheld the name of the suspect pending results of investigation into the killing of Dennis Austria of Barangay Sta. Anastacia.

The suspect was identified through video footage of a closed-circuit television camera, which showed his face and the plate number of a motorcycle that he and his companion used when they fled from the crime scene.

The Highway Patrol Group-Calabarzon has sought the help of the Land Transportation Office to identify the registered owner of the motorcycle.

A task group formed to dig deeper into the Austria murder case is eyeing an old grudge as the motive for the killing.

Austria’s wife had expressed belief that the murder of her husband was politically motivated.

Earlier, police said they have two persons of interest in the case including a former policeman who reportedly holds a grudge against Austria over a land dispute.

Austria was cleaning his property at the My Homes Subdivision when two men barged in and shot him multiple times on Thursday.

He died from two gunshot wounds in the head and four in the body.