Witness who tagged Dominguez brothers in car dealer’s slay killed

Raymond Dominguez. INQUIRER file photo

MANILA, Philippines—Alfred Mendiola, the state witness against the Dominguez brothers in the Venson Evangelista slay case, was found dead Sunday morning.

According to Arsenio Evangelista, Venson’s father, Mendiola was discovered bound and gagged in Cavite province around 6 a.m.

His body was found with those of two other men, one of whom was identified as a certain Mark Miranda, in Sta. Lucia proper, Barangay (village) Salawag in Dasmariñas City.

Quoting police sources, Evangelista said the three victims were gagged with masking tape and their hands bound with black cable ties.

Police also found three empty shells of cal. 45 bullets and two live bullets of the same caliber.

It was still unclear as to how Mendiola, a state witness under the custody of the Witness Protection Program, was found dead.

“I was told that the last time he was with the WPP was last Friday,” Evangelista told the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Mendiola, formerly an accused in the death of Venson, a car dealer, turned state witness last year against brothers Roger and Raymond Dominguez.

The Dominguez brothers, alleged leaders of a carjacking syndicate, are facing car theft with homicide charges for the slaying of Venson in Jan. 2011.

Last year, Mendiola slipped away from his guards at the WPP at a Quezon City fast-food restaurant although he returned to the WPP custody.