MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has reinstated the warrant of arrest and hold departure order against Dalia Pastor in connection with the 2014 murder of her husband, race car driver Ferdinand "Enzo" Pastor.
In a 43-page decision promulgated on Feb. 26, 2024, the high court upheld the prosecution's finding of probable cause against Dalia, overturning the Court of Appeals' earlier dismissal of the parricide charges against her.
According to the court, there is "ample evidence on record" clearly identifying Dalia as a co-conspirator of the killing.
Aside from Dalia evading the court’s jurisdiction, the Supreme Court noted instances — citing witness testimonies — that she met and planned with Police Officer II Edgar Angel, the alleged gunman, and Domingo De Guzman III, her co-conspirator in the murder.
"Dalia's acts…show that she not only served as a strong motivation to carry out the plan, but also had an active hand in planning the ambush of Enzo. Furthermore, her abrupt flight after the issuance of a warrant of arrest lends credence to the prosecution's case that she is probably guilty of the offense charged," the court's decision read.
"The right of the accused to be presumed innocent is not violated by the mere finding of probable cause. As stated, probable cause does not equate to a conviction. In the face of multiple claims and given the severity of the offense, resulting in Enzo's death, the ends of justice are better served by allowing the trial court to determine the truth through a full-blown trial," it added.
What happened before
The case dates back to June 2014, when Enzo was tragically shot and killed while driving a truck to Clark, Pampanga, accompanied by his mechanic, Paolo Salazar.
As they stopped at the intersection of Visayas Avenue and Congressional Avenue in Quezon City, an assailant approached the driver's side and opened fire, fatally wounding Enzo.
Following the incident, the prosecution identified Angel as the gunman, while De Guzman and Dalia were charged as masterminds behind the plot. Angel and De Guzman were apprehended, but Dalia remained at large.
Another individual, Alvin Nidua, a self-confessed gun-for-hire, testified that he was offered the job to kill Enzo but declined. Nidua claimed that Dalia and De Guzman had approached him about the plot.
In March 2015, the Regional Trial Court denied Dalia's motion to dismiss, leading the court to issue a warrant of arrest against her. Dalia appealed to the Court of Appeals (CA), seeking to have the charges dismissed.
The appellate court ruled in her favor, citing a lack of probable cause and stating that Angel did not definitively identify Dalia as the mastermind behind the murder plot. The CA also argued that mere knowledge of the arrangement between Angel and De Guzman was insufficient to establish conspiracy.
Where is Dalia now?
In 2015, Enzo's father, Tomas, claimed that Dalia had purchased a driver's license in Recto using the name Amanda and relocated to Indonesia, where she was living under the name "Amanda Cruz."
She reportedly remarried and is now known as Amanda Maragit.
In response, Enzo Pastor's parents, in 2016, sought help from then-President Rodrigo Duterte and former Indonesian President Joko Widodo in capturing Dalia, who they claimed had changed her facial features and identity. Dalia was added to Interpol's watchlist in April 2015.
Pastor family seeks DILG’s help in finding fugitive wife
In a message to Philstar.com, Tomas expressed gratitude for the court's decision.
"We are very thankful for the final decision that indeed there was probable cause, hence the warrant of arrest and the hold departure order is reinstated," Tomas said.
In a separate statement, Pastor’s family said they are "deeply heartened" by the court’s decision, saying that they are a step closer to achieving justice.
"We are grateful that the Supreme Court has found probable cause against Enzo’s wife, Dalia Guerrero Pastor, and her co-conspirators for their involvement in the parricide and murder of Enzo," the family said.
The family said the ruling comes after a decade of pain, having lost Enzo in a fatal shooting incident in Quezon City in 2014.
"It has been ten long and painful years since Enzo’s tragic death, and not a day goes by that we don’t grieve his loss," they said.
The family sought the help of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), citing its successful efforts with the Interpol to apprehend former Bamban mayor Alice Guo in Indonesia.
"We believe that, with the DILG’s continued commitment, Dalia can also be apprehended and brought back to the Philippines to face the justice system," Pastor's family said.