PNP charges Ryan Dominguez with star witness' murder

Ryan Dominguez, the younger sibling of the notorious Dominguez brothers, was charged by the Philippine National Police of murdering star witness Alfred Mendiola and his companions Eriberto Jumaquio and Mark Herrera.   Dominguez, 20, is supposedly one of the heads of the infamous Dominguez carnapping gang. Roger and Raymond Dominguez, Ryan’s brothers, are the other leaders of the group.   Ryan was arrested in his hideout in Malolos City along with three accomplices on May 8. The group was in possession of several firearms, rifles and pistols, four stolen vehicles, and illegal drugs.   According to PNP chief information officer Senior Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr., Ryan was charged with three counts of murder filed before the Department of Justice on Monday night. His accomplices James Jimenez, Roy Blanco and Mark Mario Lakambakal were similarly charged. Cerbo said that these cases are non-bailable.   The evidence that tied Dominguez to the murders was an empty shell casing taken near the corpse of Mendiola in Dasmariñas, Cavite. The casings matched one of the handguns seized from Dominguez’s group when they were arrested two days after the killings which occurred on May 6. Furthermore, ballistic examinations revealed that the two slugs taken from the corpse of Jumaquio matched the two handguns seized from Dominguez’s gang.   Furthermore, the entire Dominguez group tested positive for the methamphetamine called shabu. They will be facing additional charges of illegal possession of firearms, illegal possession of explosives (a grenade), carnapping and illegal possession of drugs.   The murdered victim Mendiola and his group had an extra vehicle, a van, that they used for their trip to Bataan.  The vehicle was recovered in Parañaque City.   “Forensic examination is underway for hair strands, bloodstains, soil and latent prints lifted from the Toyota Hi-Ace van of the victims,” added Cerbo.   Mendiola was the star witness who testified in court that the elder Dominguez brothers killed car dealers Venson Evangelista, Emerson Lozano and Ernani Sencil last year. His testimony was crucial to the conviction of the brothers.    The corpses of Evangelista, Lozano and Sencil were all burned after being shot.   Cerbo stated that revenge was Ryan Dominguez’ probable motive for killing Mendiola. —AGM/DM/VS, GMA News