Accused turns witness vs Dominguez brothers

A Quezon City court has approved Alfred Mendiola’s petition to turn state witness against the Dominguez brothers in connection with the killing of car dealer Venson Evangelista in January.

In a decision dated Sept. 29 which was released to media only Tuesday, Judge Ma. Luisa Q. Padilla of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 215 ordered that Mendiola’s name be dropped from the charge sheet and that he be admitted as a witness in the case.

According to Padilla, Mendiola “does not appear to be the most guilty,” one of the requirements for those who want to turn state witness.

“This court is satisfied that there is absolute necessity for the testimony of Mendiola because he has knowledge of the commission of the crime … and there is no direct evidence available for the proper prosecution of the offense except for his testimony,” Padilla said.

She also noted that “the testimony of the accused can be substantially corroborated in its material points by other evidence, testimonial and physical.”

Mendiola is facing car theft with homicide charges for the killing of Evangelista, a car dealer who disappeared during a test drive with a prospective car buyer in Quezon City in January.

Days after he was reported missing, the victim’s burnt body was found in Nueva Ecija.

Mendiola later surfaced and confessed that he was the car buyer who went on the test drive with the victim.

He claimed that he was just acting on the instructions of brothers Raymond and Roger Dominguez, the alleged leaders of a notorious car theft group.

Mendiola told the police that during the test drive, other members of the gang took over the sport utility vehicle Evangelista was selling, a Toyota Land Cruiser.

The group then drove to Pampanga—with Evangelista tied up and blindfolded in the backseat—where Roger Dominguez was waiting.

According to Mendiola, he did not know what happened to Evangelista because the group let him off in front of a mall in Pampanga.

The Dominguez brothers are also facing charges in connection with the death of another car dealer, Emerson Lozano, and his driver, Ernane Sensil.