PNP general eyed in slay of witness

MANILA, Philippines - A police general is being eyed in the execution of the star witness in the killing of car dealer Venson Evangelista, whose charred body was found in Nueva Ecija in 2011.

This developed as the families of the victims of a carjacking syndicate allegedly run by brothers Raymond and Roger Dominguez yesterday appealed to President Aquino to take a direct hand in the investigation to unmask senior police officers and influential personalities coddling the group.

Venson’s father, Arsenio Evangelista, led victims of the Dominguez group in asking Aquino to order a deeper probe into the alleged involvement of a police general in the syndicate.

The body of Alfred Mendiola, witness in the slaying of Evangelista in 2011, was dumped in Barangay Salawag, Dasmariñas City, Cavite on Sunday along with two other victims.

The three victims were shot in the head using a caliber .45 handgun. Mendiola was a state witness in the filing of carjacking and murder charges against the Dominguez brothers, who are accused of involvement in the killings of Evangelista as well as car dealer Emerson Lozano and co-employee Ernani Sensil last year.

Mendiola, who had claimed he was recruited by the Dominguez brothers, had identified them as the masterminds in the murder of Venson.

The elder Evangelista also urged Malacañang to investigate the Witness Protection Program (WPP) under the Department of Justice (DOJ), which he said should be blamed for failing to protect Mendiola despite threats to his life. Arsenio said Mendiola had been trying to “escape” from his security escorts to see his boyfriend.

Relaxed security

It was not the first time that Mendiola managed to slip out of DOJ custody.

“They went out swimming,” a police source said yesterday. Last year, Mendiola sneaked out without the knowledge of his guards as he went to the toilet of a fastfood restaurant after attending a court hearing.

Meanwhile, Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, vice chairman of the House committee on public order and safety, chided DOJ officials for committing a serious lapse when they allowed Mendiola to leave their safehouse.

Acop said Justice Secretary Leila de Lima should not have granted Mendiola’s request that his escorts be removed.

“Mendiola was a state witness who requires 24-hour protection whether he likes it or not. The same goes for other witnesses under the WPP,” he said.

Missing vehicle

Police said the vehicle used by Mendiola and the two other victims was also missing.

Cavite police chief Senior Superintendent John Bulalacao said the owner of the vehicle, Ivy de la Cruz, reported that her gold Toyota Grandia (TBO-299) could not be located.

De la Cruz told police that a certain Bong hired her van last May 2 and was used by Mendiola, her father Eriberto de la Cruz, of Malolos, Bulacan, and cousin Mark Angelo Herrera.

Superintendent Eulyses Gruz, Dasmariñas police chief, identified the two other bodies as that of De la Cruz and Herrera, both residents of Bulacan.

Bulalacao said Bong was apparently the contact of Mendiola. Investigators are puzzled why De la Cruz’s father and cousin accompanied Mendiola.

For his part, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo ordered the police to go after the killers of Mendiola and the two other victims.

Robredo admitted the police have no lead yet on the identities of the killers.

“No leads yet. But only the Dominguez brothers have a motive so far,” Robredo said in a text message to The STAR.

“I believe that the remnants of the Dominguez carjacking group killed Mendiola. The group’s leaders have the strongest motives to do him harm because of his testimony about the Venson Evangelista murder case,” he said.

He also directed the Highway Patrol Group to conduct a background check on the two bodies found along with Mendiola who were gagged with masking tape and their hands tied with cable wire.

“The PNP-HPG should determine the relationship of Mendiola to the two other victims found beside him,” he said.

DOJ steps into Mendiola slay

The Justice department also ordered an investigation into the killing of Mendiola.

De Lima said she asked the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to determine who killed Mendiola and the two other victims.

She also directed the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct a parallel probe.

De Lima said authorities should initially consider the detained Dominguez brothers as primary suspects. – With Reinir Padua, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Edu Punay, Ed Amoroso, Ric Sapnu