Carjacking syndicate leader Raymond Dominguez on Tuesday was convicted of carnapping by the Malolos Regional Trial Court and was sentenced to 17 to 30 years of imprisonment.
Malolos RTC Branch 84 Judge Wilfredo Nieves found Dominguez guilty of stealing a Toyota Fortuner from complainant Danilo Escoto in January last year. The court ordered his transfer to New Bilibid Prison from his detention cell in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig.
The Palace lauded Nieves’ “impartiality and swiftness” in handing down the decision, noting that it took only a year and four months to resolve the case.
“Dominguez was part of a notorious syndicate responsible for a spate of carnapping incidents that made headlines last year. Other cases against him and his cohorts remain pending in other branches of the Malolos RTC,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement.
Dominguez and his brother, Roger, were also accused in the murders of used-car dealers Venson Evangelista and Emerson Lozano in 2011, but the two denied involvement in the killings.
Lacierda also congratulated public prosecutor Maureen Abad Moises for the handling of the case.
“Its resolution proves that with honest and committed public servants, our judicial system can work effectively toward fulfilling its duties to the public,” he said.
