Venson Evangelista murder: 2 carjackers identify the other as hitman

MANILA, Philippines - Two self-confessed carjackers, Joel Jacinto and Rolando Talban, pointed to the other as the man who shot dead car dealer Venson Evangelista, the victim’s father said yesterday.

Arsenio Evangelista said Jacinto told him following his arrest Thursday that Talban was “a liar” when he claimed his only participation in the crime was wrapping Venson’s head with packaging tape. Talban made the claim after he was arrested in September.

For Arsenio, it was easy to junk Talban’s claim as it was different from the story of slain suspect-turned-witness Alfred Mendiola.

“It’s his (Talban’s) words against those of a dead man,” the elder Evangelista said in a past interview shortly after Talban was arrested in September.

Jacinto’s arrest came nearly two years after the killing of the car dealer, whose charred remains were dumped in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija in January 2011.

Upon his arrest, Jacinto corroborated the testimony of Mendiola, who was killed early this year in Cavite, that Talban was the gunman.

He told Arsenio he posed as the mechanic who accompanied Mendiola and Talban during the test drive of the vehicle Venson was selling when he was kidnapped.

“He (Jacinto) claimed he pointed the gun at Venson (when they declared the carjacking) but that it wasn’t cocked and wasn’t loaded,” Arsenio told The STAR yesterday.

“Joel was also saying he was the one who carried Venson, who was then hogtied and had his face wrapped in packaging tape before he was killed,” Arsenio said.

Shot then burned

Venson’s father asked whether his son was killed first or burned alive and then shot, and Jacinto told him his son had been shot and killed before he was burned.

Despite the brutality committed on his son, Arsenio said he managed to say “Salamat (Thank you)!” drawing relief from the thought that his son did not have to endure the horror of being burned alive.

Mendiola, who admitted to posing as a potential buyer of the sport utility vehicle that Venson was selling, identified Talban and brothers Raymond and Roger Dominguez as among the alleged kidnappers. He claimed that it was Talban who shot and killed Venson.

Mendiola said it was Talban who urged the brothers to kill the car dealer since they had already been identified – they had taken the Toyota Land Cruiser that Venson was selling.

The suspects are facing car theft with homicide charges before a Quezon City court.