DOJ wants raps filed vs suspected leaders of car theft syndicate

The Department of Justice (DOJ) has recommended the filing of a criminal case against brothers Raymond and Roger Dominguez—the suspected leaders of a car theft syndicate—and four other alleged gang members over the deaths of car dealer Emerson Lozano and his driver Ernane Sensil.

However, the three-member panel of prosecutors approved the filing of a case for car theft with homicide instead of the much serious complaint of car theft with murder as sought by Lozano’s family since “nothing on record would show how (the victims) were actually killed.”

“After a thorough and careful assessment of all the evidence presented, we are convinced that there exists sufficient ground to engender a well founded belief that a crime of car [theft] with multiple homicide has been committed,” the prosecutors said in a resolution.

The order was issued on July 7 although it was released to media only on Thursday by the office of Prosecutor General Claro Arellano.

Aside from the Dominguez brothers, also to be charged in connection with the twin killings were Jayson Miranda, Rolando Talban, Napoleon Salamat and a certain Marlon.

In issuing the resolution, the DOJ panel composed of Assistant State Prosecutors Amor Robles, Eden Wakay-Valdez and Bernardo Fernandez relied heavily on the testimony of Alfred Mendiola, a confessed gang member who admitted his participation in the killings.

Mendiola had admitted that he was the man initially identified by the police as a certain “Bading” who contacted Lozano and expressed interest in buying the victim’s Kia Carnival van.

Mendiola, who had offered to turn state witness, also pointed to the Dominguez brothers as the ones who ordered the burning of the van in Dinalupihan, Bataan.

The bodies of Lozano and Sensil were found separately in Central Luzon in January, days after they went missing while on a test drive with prospective car buyers.