'Carjack king' charged for Evangelista slay

MANILA, Philippines -  The Quezon City prosecutors office yesterday indicted alleged carjack gang leader Roger Dominguez on charges of carjacking with homicide for the killing of car dealer Venson Evangelista.

Domiguez’s companion, Jayson Miranda, was also indicted for the same offense. Miranda was with Dominguez when authorities arrested him on Feb. 10 in Quezon City for a traffic violation.

Assistant City Prosecutor Irene Resurreccion did not recommend any bail for the two accused.

She dismissed the arguments of the respondents that their arrest was illegal, noting that the two executed waiver of their rights under Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code, thus authorizing the police to keep them in detention.

Resurreccion said the police conducted a valid arrest in “hot pursuit” since Dominguez and Miranda remained at large even when their co-respondents faced inquest proceedings.

Resurreccion anchored her findings on the testimony of accused Alfred Mendiola, who revealed that the carjacking of Evangelista’s Land Cruiser and his murder was planned with Roger’s brother, Raymond, along with Mendiola and Ferdinand Parulan, who were earlier charged before the same court.

Resurreccion also said the subsequent recovery of Evangelista’s Land Cruiser at the hotel where Dominguez and Miranda stayed before their arrest strengthened the evidence against them.