Police ordered to hunt down killer of car theft witness

MANILA, Philippines—Interior Secretary Jesse M. Robredo on Friday ordered a manhunt on the suspects who killed Cristina Bruan Rojas, a witness in a car theft case involving the Dominguez brothers, the detained alleged leaders of a carjacking ring based in Bulacan.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference in Ortigas, Robredo said he directed the Bulacan Provincial Police Office to take immediate steps to identify and arrest the people who gunned down Cristina Bruan Rojas on Thursday shortly after she attended a court hearing in Malolos City.

“I have directed the Bulacan PPO officials to work for the immediate manhunt, identification and arrest of the suspects who killed one of our witnesses against the Dominguez brothers’ car theft ring,” he said.

Robredo said he has sent a letter to Philippine National Police Chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome for an investigation on the incident. He explained that the authorities needed to find out the motive for killing Rojas because “it might not be carjacking-related.”

Rojas was shot dead while riding a jeepney along McArthur Highway on Thursday by still unidentified suspects after attending a court hearing in Malolos City.

The brothers Raymond and Roger Dominguez were placed in police custody after a witness, identified as Alfredo Mendiola, testified that they were the masterminds in the kidnapping and murder of car dealers Venson Evangelista and Emerson Lozano in January last year.

Asked whether they would provide security details for Venson Evangelista’s father Arsenio and his family, Robredo said they would do so once the family has signified a need for security.

“Some people are not comfortable with security details, they need to feel at ease with whoever we would assign to protect them. It is difficult to provide [security] if they have not asked for it,” Robredo said.

The Highway Patrol Group identified the Dominguez brothers as the leaders of one of three major carjacking syndicates operating in Central Luzon.

Also on Thursday, four suspected members of the Dominguez group were killed in a gunfight with the authorities in Meycauayan City, including one of the suspects in the Evangelista and Lozano murders.

Napoleon Salamat, who was described as a “dreaded core member” of the carjacking ring, was killed in the shoot-out with members of the HPG, investigators said.