Police name 3 other car theft groups in Metro

Three more syndicates behind the series of car robbery incidents in Metro Manila are now being closely watched by the police. These are the Onad Group, the Francis Briones Group and the Edong Maglalang Group.

Chief Insp. Rodelio Marcelo, head of the Quezon City Police District Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit or CIDU, however, said that the recent car-robbery case that led to the killing of Teresa Teaño, a government employee, was carried out by members of the Dominguez group.

Marcelo said that based on evidence and statements of witnesses gathered by investigators, members of the Dominguez group who remain at large are carrying out their deeds allegedly on orders from the jailed brothers Raymond and Roger Dominguez or from a new financier.

Marcelo said the leaders of the three other groups have been identified and some of their members had been arrested in the past, but were released after posting bail.

One member, for instance, was able to post bail for P600,000 for a car-robbery slay case.

“We are now focused on finding the members of the three groups who also operate in Metro Manila,” said Chief Supt. George Regis, QCPD director.

Regis said the gangs started out with simple burglary and robbery cases before they ventured into car theft and stealing parked motorcycles.

“The groups operate in other cities, apart from Metro Manila, but are more active in Quezon City because it has a large population and land area,”’ Regis said.

He added that the groups raise funds to bail out members who had been arrested.

Marcelo said the “main man” of the Dominguez group is now Rolando Talban, who was positively identified by witnesses as the one who shot and killed Teaño and forcibly took her vehicle.

The QCPD had filed a case of car theft and murder against Talban, who also uses the alias Eduardo Fernandez, and another unidentified suspect.

Talban is also facing charges of car theft with homicide, along with the Dominguez brothers, for the abduction and brutal killing of car dealer Venson Evangelista.

A warrant of arrest had been again issued against him.