Alleged hitman leaves bloody trail

MANILA, Philippines - The name of carjacking suspect Rolando Talban, who also uses the alias Eduardo Fernandez, was first reported in the media nearly two years ago when he was wounded in an encounter with the police.

Talban was last arrested in October 2010 after a gun battle in Quezon City with operatives of the Highway Patrol Group. The encounter followed a chase when he and a companion were spotted in a stolen sport utility vehicle. Talban was wounded while his companion was killed.

Despite having been tagged as a purported member of the carjacking group allegedly led by the Dominguez brothers, Talban was able to post bail, police said.

Following Venson Evangelista’s killing in January 2011, Talban’s name was again linked to the criminal activities allegedly perpetrated by brothers Roger and Raymond Dominguez.

Evangelista’s charred remains were dumped in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija on Jan. 14, 2011. He was kidnapped during a test drive by men who posed as buyers of a sport utility vehicle he was then selling.

The burnt body of Emerson Lozano, son of lawyer Oliver Lozano, was found dumped in Pampanga on Jan. 17. The younger Lozano went missing following a supposed meeting to a prospective buyer of a vehicle. The body of his companion, Ernani Sencil, was found in Tarlac.

Alfred Mendiola, who posed as a buyer of the vehicle that Venson was selling, tagged the Dominguez brothers in the killing. He also identified Talban as the alleged gunman.

According to Mendiola, it was also Talban who killed Lozano. Mendiola was killed after he managed to get out of government custody in May.

The Dominguez brothers, Talban and another suspect are facing separate charges for the deaths of the two car dealers.

Roger is in detention while on trial, while Raymond is already in the New Bilibid Prison after having been convicted in another criminal case.

Setback

Following the incarceration of Roger and Raymond, police officials claimed to have scored big in their anti-carjacking efforts, until government employee Teresita Teaño was killed in a carjacking in June 2011.

Two men shot Teaño, hijacked her brand new Hyundai Accent and ran over her along Kamuning Road on June 15.

A sketch of the man who shot Teaño was produced, based on the description of a witness. A policeman assigned to the case thought the sketch looked like Talban. When they showed Talban’s photo to the witness, the latter confirmed it was the same person.