MANILA, Philippines – Alfred Mendiola, an accused who is being eyed as a state witness in the Venson Evangelista car theft and homicide case, will remain under the protective custody of the Bulacan Provincial Jail despite moves to transfer him.
A Quezon City court has ruled that Mendiola should remain in the Bulacan jail instead of being transferred to the Metro Manila District Jail in Taguig City where the brothers Roger and Raymond Dominguez, alleged leaders of a notorious gang of car thieves, are detained on car theft and homicide charges.
Judge Luisa Padilla of regional trial court Branch 215 granted the motion of the Witness Protection Security and Benefit Program asking the court to relieve them of responsibility for Mendiola’s security after he left a government safehouse.
The accused-prospective witness, however, remains a provisional witness under the witness protection program but the court has not yet ruled whether to drop Mendiola from the charge sheet.
Roger and Raymond Dominguez, as well as Jason Miranda, are facing car theft and homicide charges for their alleged involvement in the abduction and slay of Evangelista, a car dealer, last January.
Padilla issued the order in open court Friday during a hearing on witness protection program acting director Martin Nunez’s petition.
“There being no objections from the defense and from the panel of prosecutors, the motion to retain Mendiola in the custody of Bulacan Provincial Jail is hereby granted until further orders from this court. Make sure he will be secured in your facility,” the judge said.
The court granted the motion after Bulacan jail warden, Superintendent Pepito Flamenco, assured the court that Mendiola would be safe in his custody.
Flamenco also told the court that the Bulacan jail did not consider Mendiola as a detainee. The jail warden later told reporters that Mendiola had his own quarters at the Bulacan facility with guards watching over him, and that Mendiola was required to log in and out whenever he left the room.
The court summoned Flamenco together with Metro Manila District Jail warden, Supt. Winefredo Abordo to enlighten the court on security arrangements.