Separate courts to handle Enzo slay raps

MANILA, Philippines - Two separate Quezon City courts will handle the charges filed in connection with the death of international race car driver Ferdinand “Enzo” Pastor.

Court records showed that the murder case filed against businessman Domingo “Sandy” de Guzman III was raffled to the Regional Trial Court Branch 85 Judge Luisito Cortez.

The same court is handling the murder case filed against alleged gunman Police Officer 2 Edgar Angel, who was indicted for murder in August.

The parricide case against Pastor’s widow, Dahlia Guerrero-Pastor, was raffled to the Regional Trial Court Branch 91 Judge Lita Tolentino-Genilo.

The judges are expected to issue arrest warrants against De Guzman and Dahlia upon determining probable cause to proceed with the case.

On Thursday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) approved the indictment of De Guzman and Dahlia for the killing of the race car driver on June 12, 2014 at the corner of Congressional and Visayas Avenues in Quezon City.

The prosecutors cited the confession of Angel, who pointed at De Guzman and Dahlia as masterminds of the killing.

Angel later recanted his statement, but the DOJ said that his extrajudicial confession that he was contracted by the respondents to kill Pastor for P100,000 remained valid.

“This is strengthened by Angel’s statement that the reason why he was contracted to kill Enzo was because the latter constantly beat his wife and that respondent Sandy wants to relieve her of this burden,” read the DOJ resolution.

De Guzman was earlier arrested for illegal possession of firearms, but he has since been allowed by a Muntinlupa court to post bail.

Dahlia has gone into hiding after Angel tagged her in the murder of Pastor.