The Supreme Court (SC) earlier reinstated the arrest warrant and hold departure order against Dalia Pastor, as a co-conspirator in the killing of her husband.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday said it would work with foreign counterparts to go after Dalia Pastor, the wife and suspect in the killing of slain race car driver Ferdinand “Enzo” Pastor.
In a statement, DOJ Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said the government would not take reports that Pastor has already fled the country to Indonesia or Malaysia “sitting down.”
The Supreme Court (SC) earlier reinstated the arrest warrant and hold departure order against Dalia, as a co-conspirator in the killing of her husband.
The case
Records showed that in 2014, Enzo was driving a truck to Clark, Pampanga, together with his mechanic, Paolo Salazar. After the truck came to a stop at the intersection of Visayas Avenue and Congressional Avenue, a man approached the driver’s side of the truck and shot Enzo, killing him.
The prosecution charged Police Officer 2 Edgar Angel, as the gunman, and Domingo De Guzman III and Dalia as masterminds in the killing. Angel and De Guzman were arrested.
Dalia went to the CA to question the charges against her. The CA ruled in Dalia’s favor and dismissed the charge of parricide for lack of probable cause after Angel failed to identify her as the mastermind of the plot to kill her husband.
In reversing the CA decision, the SC ruled that a finding of probable cause needs only evidence showing that, more likely than not, a crime has been committed by the suspects.
The Supreme Court said there was sufficient evidence that identified Dalia as a co-conspirator and her participation in Enzo’s killing.
A family’s appeal
The parents of the slain race car driver earlier released a statement saying that the recent decision of the Supreme Court “brings us a step closer to justice for our beloved Enzo Pastor.”
“We are grateful that the Supreme Court has found probable cause against Enzo’s wife, Dalia Guerrero Pastor, and her co-conspirators for their involvement in the parricide and murder of Enzo.”
“It has been ten long and painful years since Enzo’s tragic death, and not a day goes by that we don’t grieve his loss. What makes our pain even harder to bear is that Dalia, who is a central figure in this case, has managed to flee and evade arrest for a decade,” the statement said.
“We have received credible reports that Dalia fled the country in 2015, escaping through the backdoor and assuming a new identity, possibly in Indonesia or Malaysia. With this, we humbly and urgently appeal to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), and to Secretary Benhur Abalos, to extend their assistance in locating and capturing Dalia.”
The Pastor family also said: “We have faith in the same successful efforts that brought back former Mayor Alice Guo with the help of Interpol and our Southeast Asian counterparts. We believe that, with the DILG’s continued commitment, Dalia can also be apprehended and brought back to the Philippines to face the justice system.”
The family is also seeking the public’s help on any information about Dalia’s whereabouts. “We ask that you come forward and inform the proper authorities. Your assistance could be key in helping our family finally attain the justice that Enzo—and all those who loved him—deserve.
Thank you for your continued support and for standing with us in our pursuit of justice,” the family said.
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