MANILA, Philippines – The family of murdered racer Enzo Pastor expressed their joy in the recent Supreme Court (SC) decision finding probable cause against his wife Dalia Guerrero Pastor and her co-conspirators in the infamous parricide case back in June 12, 2014.
The Philippines’ highest judicial body reinstated the arrest warrant and hold departure order for the missing suspect, who has gone into hiding since 2015, presumably under a new identity somewhere in Southeast Asia, possibly Indonesia or Malaysia.
“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,” the family’s statement read.
“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 SC overthrew on Thursday, October 3, the initial judgment of the Court of Appeals (CA), which said that “even if Dalia knew the agreement between [suspects] PO2 [Edgar] Angel and [Sandy] de Guzman, this was not enough to prove that she conspired with them.”
“Reversing the CA, the Supreme Court held that a finding of probable cause needs only evidence showing that, more likely than not, a crime has been committed by the suspects. It does not require evidence of guilt beyond reasonable doubt,” continued the SC’s summary of the decision.
“In the present case, the Supreme Court found that there was sufficient evidence that identifies Dalia as a co-conspirator and her participation in Enzo’s killing.”
A P1-million reward, standing since September 2015, remains for information that can lead to Dalia’s location and arrest.
“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 family’s statement continued.
“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.”
Ten-year pursuit of justice
Confessed gun-for-hire Alvin Nidua said in a sworn affidavit back in September 2014 that Enzo wanted to kill Dalia’s alleged lover Domingo “Sandy” de Guzman for engaging in a suspected affair with his wife, leading to De Guzman ordering a hit for Nidua against Enzo.
Per the affidavit, Nidua then hired former policeman Edgar Angel to complete the job, which he confessed to doing on August 27, 2014, but retracted a week later.
Through the years, the family has made repeated calls for help across multiple channels, even once pleading former Presidents Rodrigo Duterte and Jokowi Widodo of Indonesia to assist in bringing the case to justice.
Dalia has been on the Interpol wanted list since 2015, but no new information has surfaced on her actual whereabouts and condition. De Guzman, himself a race car driver like Enzo, remains imprisoned in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
“To the public, we also earnestly seek your help,” Enzo’s family’s statement continued. “If anyone has 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.”
Enzo, the first Filipino to participate in the NASCAR Whelen Euroseries Open Championship race circuit, was gunned down at the peak of his life at just 32 years old on June 12, 2014, in Quezon City while on the way to a race in Clark, Pampanga. – Rappler.com
