Car theft boss linked to judge’s slay

Raymond Dominguez. Inquirer file photo.

THE SUPREME Court, expressing alarm over the killing of a Bulacan judge, has ordered court officials in the province to track the progress of police action on the case after learning that a car theft syndicate boss convicted by the slain judge is a prime suspect in the killing.

Raul Villanueva, deputy court administrator, directed judges in Bulacan to form a task force to monitor the investigation of the gun slaying of Bulacan Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Wilfredo Nieves, who is known as the judge who convicted car theft boss Raymond Dominguez in 2012.

Raymond and brother, Roger, had been tagged leaders of the so-called Dominguez car theft syndicate responsible for a string of car theft cases in Metro Manila and Luzon.

In August 2010, Roger was arrested in San Fernando, Pampanga province, for car theft with homicide. In November 2010, Raymond surrendered after police raided his condominium unit in Mandaluyong City and found stolen vehicles in the garage of the building.

The brothers are facing car theft with homicide charges for the killing of car dealers Venson Evangelista and Emerson Lozano in January 2011.

Deputy SC administrator Villanueva met with officials in Bulacan to check on the investigation.

In a report to lawyer Theodore Te, Supreme Court spokesperson, Villanueva said a P2-million reward is helping police get reliable information “from many callers.”

Still unidentified men attacked Nieves on his way home from court on Wednesday while the judge was in his Toyota Fortuner on MacArthur Highway in Malolos City.

Gunmen in an Innova and a motorcycle fired at Nieves’ vehicle as he approached a stop light.

Supreme Court justices, led by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, expressed “outrage and sadness” at Nieves’ killing.

During his visit in Malolos, Villanueva also relayed to Bulacan officials the security concerns of judges in the province.

Nieves was the second judge killed in a gun attack in less than three months.

On Sept. 1, Baler RTC Branch 91 Judge Erwin Alaba and his wife were shot repeatedly by motorcycle-riding suspects outside the court. Alaba’s wife survived the attack. –Tarra Quismundo, with reports from Carmela Reyes-Estrope and Ron Lopez, Inquirer Central Luzon; and Rafael Antonio, Inquirer Research