Widow, lover to be charged with murder
Acase of murder will be filed against a widow of celebrated local car racer Enzo Pastor in connection with the latter’s June 12, 2014 slaying.
The filing of charges is the latest development in a story of conspiracy, illicit relations and betrayal involving scions of a local influential family.
According to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, government prosecutors found sufficient evidence to charge Dahlia Guerrero-Pastor and her alleged lover, businessman Domingo “Sandy” de Guzman, for the murder of Enzo. De Lima said complaints filed by the police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and Enzo’s father, Tomas Pastor, formed the basis for formal charges against Dahlia and Sandy. They are scions of rich families. The charge had used statements made by the alleged gunman, Police Officer 2 Edgar Angel that he had been hired by the two to kill the young Pastor.
“The complaints are anchored on the extrajudicial statements made by PO2 Edgar Angel implicating both respondents Sandy and Dahlia as the masterminds in the plan to kill Enzo by contracting him to be the gunman for a fee of Php100,000.00 (Dh8,287),” De Lima said.
Dahlia and Sandy had reportedly gone into hiding since the controversy broke out middle of last year.
Shot dead
Enzo, 35, a who had also competed in races in the US, was shot and killed in suburban Quezon City while he was driving a truck loaded with his one of his racing cars on June 12, 2014.
Several weeks after Enzo was killed, authorities arrested Angel and the latter gave a statement to the police that he had been paid by Dahlia and Sandy to kill Enzo.
Later on, he took back the statement he gave to police.
But according to De Lima said Angel’s move to recant his statement had little bearing modifying the testimony that he had already gave.
“Recantations do not necessarily cancel an earlier declaration”; that like any other testimony, the test of credibility must be utilised to determine which of the contradictory testimonies represents the truth; and that “these qualifications can only be arrived at during a full-blown trial on the merits and not during preliminary investigation,” De Lima said.
Thus, she said “there is probable cause to hold Sandy for trial for murder and probable cause to hold Dahlia for trial for parricide in the killing of Enzo on the ground of conspiracy,” De Lima said quoting statements made by state prosecutors.
Chona Domen, housemaid of the victim, had earlier executed an affidavit detailing what she knows about the illicit relationship. De Lima said there was conspiracy because it was Dahlia who supplied the information on the exact location of Enzo moments before his murder.