‘12 years after Venson slay, family still grieving’

MANILA, Philippines — Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) president Arsenio Evangelista yesterday said his family is still grieving over the brutal killing of his son, car dealer Venson Evangelista, whose charred remains were dumped in Nueva Ecija in 2011.

Evangelista said there were times when he almost gave up on the murder case.

On Wednesday, the family finally obtained justice 12 years after the killing of Venson.

“In those 12 years, many times I wanted to give up. They said, ‘Boy you have done enough for your son,’” the elder Evangelista said.

He said witnesses and Malolos, Bulacan Regional Trial Court Branch 84 Judge Wilfredo Nieves, who previously handled the case, was shot dead on his way home on Nov. 11, 2015.

Venson’s charred body was found in Cabanatuan City on Jan. 14, 2011, with the head wrapped in packing tape and hands tied.

“I raised him for 30 years, only to be burned and shot in the head. There was a time, I didn’t have money to pay for the lawyers and security details,” Evangelista said.

On Wednesday, a Quezon City court sentenced three members of a carjacking group – Roger Dominguez, Jason Miranda and Rolando Talban – to life in prison without eligibility for parole.

Judge Rafael Hipolito of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 215 found the three guilty of car theft with homicide.

Convicted carjacker Raymond Dominguez, who masterminded the crime, died in his cell at the New Bilibid Prison in February 2021.

“Anyone could be the next victim. It could happen to you. So that is my battlecry. I wanted to be a symbol of hope for the hopeless, for the victims of injustice,” Evangelista said.

He said the VACC would continue to push for the reimposition of the death penalty for heinous crimes.