Car trader murder: 9 charged

MANILA, Philippines - Nine suspects in the grisly killing of used-car dealer Venson Evangelista were formally charged before the Quezon City Prosecutors Office late Saturday night amid tight security.

The alleged gang leader and mastermind Raymond Dominguez, meanwhile, sought police protection after he was implicated by Alfred Mendiola and Ferdinand Parulan, who were earlier arrested in connection with the case. 

Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Benjardi Mantele, immediately after inquest proceedings that ended past midnight, said the prosecutors found probable cause to charge Mendiola (alias Bading, alias Allan Torres), Parulan (alias Batibot), and seven others with carjacking and murder.

Included on the charge sheet were the Dominguez brothers Roger and Raymond, the alleged masterminds, an alias Jason, driver of the Pajero that tailed Evangelista’s Land Cruiser that was being road tested the day he went missing, an alias Rolly, the alleged gunman, an alias Joel, and two John Does.

Raymond is now in the custody of Region 3 Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) chief Superintendent Manuel Lukban.

“The prosecutor has determined that Mendiola and Parulan were members of the same group that killed Venson,” Mantele said, adding that conspiracy among the suspects was established by Prosecutor Solivan Usman.

“Evidence showed there was premeditation, a plan to kill Venson,” he said.

The cases against the suspects still at large are still being investigated.

Superintendent Antonio Yarra of the Special Investigation Task Group Evangelista told The STAR that Mendiola and Parulan “admitted participation in at least some stages” while the crimes were being committed.

“None of them admitted to the killing,” he said.

Police earlier charged the suspects with kidnapping but Mantele said this was absorbed by the more serious crime of murder. He said the kidnapping was only made as a means to consummate the killing. Car theft is a bailable offense (P180,000) while murder is nonbailable.

Director Leon Nilo de la Cruz, chief of the CIDG said they have a strong case against Dominguez and his brother, Roger.

“We have the statements of Mendiola and Parulan linking the Dominguez brothers to the crime. We also recovered physical evidence like the handgun, burnt driver’s license and license plates which could bolster our case,” said De la Cruz in an interview.

Usman said his findings were only initial and could still change.

The initial disposition needs the confirmation and approval of Chief Prosecutor Richard Anthony Fadullon, State Prosecutor and officer-in-charge of the Quezon City Prosecutors Office.

Fadullon is expected to either approve or dismiss the recommendation today.

Lukban, on the other hand, said that the two suspects are still under his custody and will be detained at the Region 3 Investigation and Detection Management Division holding center at Camp Olivas in San Fernando,

Pampanga until the local court orders their commitment to the city jail.

No warrant of arrest yet

Central Luzon police director Chief Superintendent Alan Purisima said Raymond Dominguez signed a waiver that placed him under voluntary police protective custody of the Bulacan police Saturday night, just a few hours after Mendiola and Parulan were hailed to the Quezon City prosecutors office.

“We are not yet hunting down the Dominguez brothers since no arrest warrant has been issued against them,” Purisima said.

However, he said he did not know where Raymond’s brother was. “We have not monitored their movements, as we are concentrating on building up evidences in the Lozano case,” he added, referring to the murder under similar circumstances of car dealer Emerson Lozano.

Dominguez gave himself up to Senior Superintendent Wendy Rosario, officer-in-charge of the Bulacan police and concurrent deputy director for operations of the Central Luzon police late Saturday at Camp Alejo Santos.

De la Cruz said they are readying a police lineup for witnesses to positively identify Dominguez.

“Once he is positively identified by our witnesses, we would immediately file charges against Dominguez so he would be sent behind bars,” he said.

A civic leader who asked not to be named appealed to President Aquino to make sure that the protective custody arrangement is not a mere ploy to whitewash police coddling of the Dominguezes’ carjacking operations.

Dominguez feels safer in custody

“Maybe he feels his safety is under threat,” Purisima replied when asked why Raymond sought police protection.

He said the murder charges filed before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office pertained only to the case of Evangelista.

“In the case of car dealer Emerson Lozano and his driver Ernani Sensil, we still have no direct evidence and so were are piecing together the other evidences so far to make sure the case we file on the case will have no loopholes,” he said.

Dominguez said he would rather go to the police authorities to voluntarily explain himself instead of waiting for the police to issue a warrant against him.

His lawyer, Raymund Palad, explained that his client did not surrender but only sought “protective custody” because of fear for his life.

“There was no admission. How will he admit to the accusation when there is no case yet?” the lawyer said, referring to the testimony of the two other suspects in the case who linked Dominguez to the killing.

Raymond said he had talked to his brother Roger and they agreed that he would proceed first with their plan to cooperate with the investigation.

De la Cruz said he received reports that Roger would surrender but “he has not contacted us yet.”

A raid on the two rented lairs of the Dominguez brothers last Friday night yielded a partially burned driver’s license of Evangelista, as well as a 9 mm. pistol that might have been used to shoot the victims before their bodies were found in different locations in Central Luzon after they were reported missing last Jan. 12.

Purisima said the recovery of Evangelista’s burned driver’s license was a major breakthrough only in his case.

“So we can say that the Evangelista case has been solved, while we still have to gather direct evidences in the case of Lozano and Sensil,” he stressed.  

Lozano wants to help prosecution

Meanwhile, lawyer Oliver Lozano said he wants to play an active role in the prosecution of the alleged killers of his son. He has even asked the government to be given a copy of the criminal records of the suspects.

“I have asked permission from (Justice) Secretary Leila de Lima for the complete records of the prosecution for my evaluation so I can give my inputs,” Lozano said, adding that he wants to help in building an “airtight case” against the suspects in the abduction and murder of his son.

While the police have yet to officially declare that the killing of Evangelista, Lozano’s son and Sensil were related and perpetrated by the same group, Lozano said he has asked to be furnished a copy of the criminal records of what has been dubbed as the “Dominguez carjack group.”

“Secretary De Lima and (Interior) Secretary (Jessie) Robredo have agreed to compile the criminal records of the Dominguez brothers,” the elder Lozano, former legal counsel of the Marcoses, said yesterday.

“As a practicing lawyer for 43 years, the test of a successful prosecution is strong evidence to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt,” he added.

“If there’s room for additional evidence, we should just go on gathering them,” the father of the slain car dealer said. – Non Alquitran, Ding Cervantes, Reinir Padua, Dino Balabo, Ric Sapnu