PNP chief: Mendiola slay case still open

MANILA, Philippines - The murder of state witness Alfred Mendiola and two others cannot yet be considered solved as investigators are still in the process of building an airtight case against alleged carjack gang leader Ryan Dominguez, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome said yesterday.

“We will not close the case yet. We want to determine if there are still others involved in the case,” he told The STAR.

“We are still waiting for the results of the scientific exams on the following, which were found on the vehicles of the four suspects: bloodstain, hair strand, soil, latent prints,” he added. 

The PNP chief issued the statement despite investigators matching the two firearms seized from Dominguez and the shells found near the body of Mendiola.

PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said the PNP is working to strengthen the case against Dominguez and his three companions – Mark Lakambakal, James Jimenez and Rey Blanco – for the murder of Mendiola, Mark Herrera and Eriberto Jumaquio, whose bodies were found in Cavite May 6.

Cerbo said forensic experts are still analyzing other pieces of evidence recovered from Dominguez’s group.

“While the PNP has gained considerable success in the investigation of the Mendiola case in terms of the ballistics exam, we are still examining other pieces of recovered evidence like hair strands, latent prints, cigarette butts to strengthen our case,” Cerbo said in a text to The STAR. 

After the May 8 arrest of Dominguez’s group, police recovered two unlicensed .45 caliber pistols, which forensic analysts matched to two of the four spent cartridge cases found near the bodies of Mendiola and two others in an isolated area in Dasmariñas.

 Bigger bounty

Highway Patrol Group (HPG) director Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said authorities are considering increasing the P600,000 reward for the arrest of Rolando Talban, considered a key player in the Dominguez carjacking group.

“We will request the Department of Interior and Local Government to put additional money for the reward for Talban’s arrest. It’s up to the DILG to determine the amount,” Espina said.

Espina earlier offered a total of P600,000 for any information that could lead to the arrest of Talban, who is using the aliases Eduardo Fernandez Talban, Rolando Fernandez, Rolly Talban and Michael Villafranca.

The P500,000 reward was in addition to the P100,000 bounty earlier offered by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group investigating the murder of car dealers Venson Evangelista and Emerson Lozano and Lozano’s co-employee, Ernani Sensil, in January 2011.

Espina said those with information on Talban may call the HPG Tactical Operation Center at 726-1261 to 62 or 0906-3745375.

The HPG chief believes that Talban, considered the group’s designated triggerman, and a companion escaped at the height of the shootout in Muralla Park in Meycauayan City last January.

Espina said it was also Talban who engaged law enforcers in a shootout in Quezon City late last year.

Talban was identified as the gunman in the murders of Evangelista on Jan. 14, 2011 and government employee Teresita Teaño in July 2011.