World · Philippines Bureau
Police name person of interest in Batangas barangay chair slaying
Philippine National Police investigators have identified a person of interest following the fatal shooting of a barangay chairman at his Batangas residence. Dennis Austria, 50, who headed Barangay Sta. Anastacia in Sto. Tomas City, was killed on Thursday.
LSN Philippines ·
The Philippine National Police said Friday that they have identified a person of interest in connection with the killing of Dennis Austria, the 50-year-old chairman of Barangay Sta. Anastacia in Sto. Tomas City, Batangas. Austria was shot at his residence on Thursday, the police said.
PNP public information chief Col. Allen announced the development at a press briefing on Friday, though specific details about the person of interest and the motive behind the shooting remained undisclosed. Investigators are pursuing multiple leads in the case, authorities said.
The killing marks another incident of violence targeting local government officials in the Philippines. Austria's death has sparked calls for enhanced security measures for barangay leaders in the region. The PNP said it would continue its investigation and did not rule out additional developments in the coming days.
Police urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward. The case remains under investigation by Sto. Tomas City police, with support from provincial and national police units.