Authorities have put up a P500,000 reward for another notorious car-jacking suspect being sought for the murders of car dealers Venson Evangelista and Emerson Lozano.
The Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (HPG) yesterday released to media the last known photograph of a man known only as “Joel” or “Joel Mechanic.”
He was identified as the one who abducted Evangelista at gunpoint on Jan. 14 and then burned his body, according to HPG spokesperson Supt. Edwin Butacan.
Those who can provide information which will lead to Joel’s capture can call the HPG at 726-1261 to 62 or 0906-3745375, Butacan said.
Last week, the PNP-HPG raised to P600,000 the bounty for Rolando Talban who was tagged as the primary suspect in the deaths of Evangelista and Lozano.
A week before Evangelista’s remains were discovered, the bodies of Lozano and his driver were found in Pampanga and Tarlac, respectively.
Like Evangelista, Lozano, who is the son of Marcos lawyer Oliver Lozano, was last seen accompanying a prospective car buyer on a test drive.
Talban is also wanted for the killing of Teresita Teaño in Kamuning, Quezon City, last month when she resisted attempts to steal her car.
The PNP initially put up a P100,000 reward for his capture in February and then raised it last week to P600,000.
Among the aliases being used by Talban are Eduardo Fernandez, Rolando Fernandez, Eduardo Talban, Rolando or Rolly M. Talban and Michael B. Villafranca.
“These are dangerous people, that’s why we’ve put up rewards for them. These people have killed their victims,” Butacan told reporters in Camp Crame.
He said the bounty was put up by the PNP and “several concerned citizens.”
Talban is described as between 27 and 32 years old, about 5’7’’ in height with a weight of 143 lbs, of medium build and with fair complexion.
The Marteja-Briones car theft gang was responsible for at least 14 car theft cases and nine motel robberies, according to Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent George Regis.
The operations were carried out despite the arrest of one of the group’s leaders, Francis Briones, in June. With Julie M. Aurelio