Suspect who tagged Dominguez brods wants to be a state witness

MANILA, Philippines -  A suspect who surrendered and pointed to brothers Raymond and Roger Dominguez as the alleged masterminds in the kidnap-slay of car dealer Venson Evangelista wants to be dropped from the charge sheet and become a state witness.

Alfred Mendiola has been admitted to the Department of Justice’s Witness Protection Security and Benefit Program effective Feb. 7, according to his lawyer, Willie Rivera.

Yesterday’s scheduled arraignment of the Dominguez brothers, Mendiola, Ferdinand Parulan, and Jayson Miranda before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 215 was postponed pending the resolution of Mendiola’s motion and another one wherein Mendiola and Parulan asked for a reinvestigation of the charges of car theft with homicide.

The prosecution also has a pending motion to amend the charge against Raymond. Judge Ma. Luisa Padilla rescheduled the arraignment on March 22.

Rivera said Mendiola is entitled to be discharged as a state witness under Republic Act 6981. “It must emphasized that it is the testimony of accused Alfred Mendiola that clinched the filing of the case against the principals. Without the testimony of the accused Alfred Mendiola, no other direct evidence was available for the prosecution to prove the elements of the crime,” Mendiola’s motion stated.

Rivera noted that since Mendiola only posed as a buyer of Evangelista’s Toyota Land Cruiser, he had the least participation in the car trader’s kidnap and murder.

Ramon Bernardo, who represents Evangelista’s father, Arsenio, said they were not opposed to Mendiola’s motion.