Ryan Dominguez charged in DOJ for witness' killing

MANILA, Philippines - Ryan Dominguez, an alleged leader of the Dominguez carjacking group, has been formally charged before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for the killing of government witness Alfred Mendiola and two others.

Dominguez, considered by Philippine National Police (PNP) as a primary suspect in the murders of Mendiola, Mark Herrera and Eriberto Jumaquio, was brought to the office of Prosecutor Mary Jane Sytat on Monday night for inquest along with James Jimenez, Roy Blanco and Mark Mario Lakambakal.

PNP officials filed multiple murder charges against the four after ballistics test results showed that the bullet in a .45 caliber pistol retrieved from Dominguez matched the ones found beside the bodies of Mendiola and two others when they were found in Dasmariñas, Cavite last May 6.

“At 7:40 p.m. Monday, police filed the case of three counts of murder before the sala of DOJ. The four suspects are now in the custody of the Bulacan Provincial Police,” PNP spokesman Senior Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said. “These are non-bailable offenses.”

Police said handguns found in the possession of Dominguez and Jimenez upon their arrest in Malolos City last May 8 matched two of four spent cartridge cases found at the Cavite crime scene.

Forensic investigators also extracted two .45 caliber bullets from the body of Jumaquio and these bullets also matched the two handguns of Dominguez and Jimenez.  They have been charged with illegal possession of firearms.

Dominguez, 20, and the other suspects were arrested May 8 while allegedly holding a pot session in Barangay San Agustin in Malolos, Bulacan.

Police recovered from them two sachets of shabu, two M16 rifles, two .45 caliber pistols, and two hand grenades. A Toyota Innova, a Nissan Navara, and a Subaru Impreza were also seized from the suspects.

Dominguez and his three suspected cohorts also tested positive for methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu).

Lakambakal was identified by a carjacking victim as the one who took his Mitsubishi Montero, police earlier said.

For this, they were also charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives, use and possession of illegal drugs, and car theft.

Cerbo said Dominguez could be considered a high-risk detainee, considering the background of his brothers, alleged carjack kings Raymond and Roger.

Raymond and Roger were locked up for their alleged link to the murder of car dealer Venson Evangelista on Jan. 14, 2011.