3 jail guards in Muntinlupa encounter tested

MANILA, Philippines — Three members of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) who responded to a shooting, believed to be linked to the illegal drug trade, in Muntinlupa last Thursday underwent paraffin tests Friday morning, an official said yesterday.

Jail Officers 1 John Edades, Moldero Sogan and Richard Basiloy underwent paraffin testing at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Crime Laboratory in Makati City, according to Senior Superintendent Dante Novicio, chief of the Muntinlupa City police.

Novicio said the service firearms of the three jail guards underwent ballistics tests.

He said this is part of the police investigation of the shooting that left two BJMP officers and two policemen dead.

Edades, Sogan and Basiloy responded to an encounter that killed Police Officer 1 Jover John Lardizabal of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) and former Police Officer 3 Arnel Rubio.

Before the two policemen were killed, they allegedly shot dead JO1 Felino Salazar and JO2 Elmer Malindao of the Muntinlupa City Jail.

Salazar was reported to be on the NCRPO’s drug watchlist and Lardizabal was conducting a surveillance operation on him, NCRPO chief Director Oscar Albayalde earlier said.

Novicio said that JO1 Dee Jay Tanael, who is under police custody, also underwent paraffin testing and his firearm checked after he was also linked to the shooting.