Alleged Pastor slay mastermind walks free

MANILA, Philippines - Businessman Domingo “Sandy” de Guzman III walked out of detention yesterday afternoon after posting bail for the case of illegal possession of firearms filed against him.

De Guzman was released from the detention facility of the Quezon City Police District’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit after lunch yesterday, said Inspector Elmer Monsalve, head of the QCPD-CIDU’s Homicide Investigation Section.

Monsalve said De Guzman posted P80,000 bail for the illegal possession of firearms filed against him. Two guns were found in his possession when he was arrested on Tuesday last week in Muntinlupa.

De Guzman spent exactly a week at the detention facility of the QCPD-CIDU at Camp Karingal.

De Guzman is facing a separate murder case for allegedly ordering the killing of champion car racer Ferdinand “Enzo” Pastor on June 12.

The murder case filed against him, along with the frustrated murder charge for the injuries sustained by Pastor’s companion at the time of the killing, is still undergoing preliminary investigation by the Department of Justice (DOJ).

Murder is a non-bailable offense, but since the murder case is still under preliminary investigation by the DOJ, De Guzman has yet to be indicted in court for allegedly ordering the killing.

Confessed gunman Police Officer 2 Edgar Angel has pointed to De Guzman as the one who allegedly tapped him to kill Pastor. Angel was arrested initially for a drug offense.

Angel claimed he was first contacted by De Guzman in November last year to tap him for the hit. The two men had allegedly been buddies as De Guzman’s former wife had stood as godmother to Angel’s youngest child, a claim that De Guzman had denied.

Angel said he was convinced to execute the hit in exchange for P100,000 and after De Guzman claimed his lady “friend” – who would turn out to be Pastor’s wife Daliah – was physically abused by the target.

A house help of the Pastor couple had claimed there was an extra-marital affair between Daliah and De Guzman.

Angel also claimed seeing Daliah inside the car of De Guzman as he and the businessman allegedly talked about the plan to kill Pastor on June 11, the day before the hit.

De Guzman was arrested on Tuesday last week when he allegedly handed over the “bonus” worth P50,000 he had allegedly promised Angel.

De Guzman has denied the murder allegations. Daliah, who is facing parricide and frustrated cases before the DOJ, remains at large.

Daliah’s lawyer quits

Salvador Panelo, in a hearing before the DOJ yesterday, said he has quit as Daliah’s lawyer. He explained in an interview that he is no longer interested in defending the widow since Pastor’s parents are also his good friends.

Angel, on the other hand, appeared before the DOJ yesterday for the preliminary investigation of the murder case against him.

Angel was supposed to submit his counter-affidavit, but was not ready to comply because he has not yet received copies of the complaint filed by the Philippine National Police last week.

Investigating Assistant State Prosecutor Susan Villanueva gave him until Sept. 8 to submit his answer to the murder charge.

De Guzman and Daliah were summoned by the DOJ to a hearing on Sept. 9 and required them to answer the allegations against them.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the suspects could still be prevented from leaving the country even without a hold departure order. The DOJ has issued an immigration lookout bulletin last Aug. 29.            – With Edu Punay