Suspects in star witness’ killing charged

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has filed murder charges against Ryan Dominguez and three other men for the killing of star witness Alfred Mendiola who helped put his two elder brothers behind bars.

PNP spokesperson Senior Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said that three counts of murder were lodged against the 20-year-old Dominguez and his three accomplices after investigators discovered a link between the firearms seized from them and the spent bullet shells found in the area where Mendiola and his two companions were killed.

“At 7:40 p.m. last night (Monday), we filed the case of three counts of murder [in] the Department of Justice against the four who are in [the] custody of the Bulacan provincial police office,” Cerbo told reporters.

He said the four suspects could be considered high-risk detainees and that the Bulacan police might request the court to transfer them to a more secure place, including, for example, Camp Crame.

However, there would be continuous testing of other pieces of evidence, including hair strands found in the van believed to have been used to transport Mendiola and his companions, to determine other possible charges or suspects, Cerbo added.

Dominguez, along with Mark Mario Santos Lacambacal, 21; James Pintacasi Jimenez, 37; and Roy Mabuyo Blanco, 27; was arrested on charges of illegal possession of firearms, explosives and drugs after policemen caught them in a compound at Barangay San Agustin in Malolos, Bulacan.

Investigators later discovered that the empty caliber .45 shells recovered from the area in Dasmariñas, Cavite, where the bodies of Mendiola and his companions were found matched the bullets taken from the firearms seized from Dominguez and company.

Dominguez is the younger brother of Roger and Raymond Dominguez, the alleged leaders of a carjacking ring believed behind the killing of car dealer Venson Evangelista in January last year.

Mendiola was initially tagged as a suspect in that case before he turned state witness and testified against the brothers.