Police checking if ex-solon among burnt bodies in vehicle

January 9, 2020

Authorities are investigating if a former congressman is one of the victims found inside a burnt vehicle in Tiaong, Quezon Thursday morning.

According to Police Major Lawrence Panganiban, Tiaong police chief, authorities will conduct DNA testing to identify if one of the victims was former Batangas Rep. Edgar Mendoza.

Panganiban said they were able to recover identification card and documents in the crime scene.

“But we cannot still say that he is the one of the burned victims. Only bones (remained). We need to conduct DNA (test) to identify them,” he said.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra ordered the National Bureau of Investiogation to assist the police in investigating and finding the perpetrators of this horrible crime.

“The NBI’s forensic experts will also be of great help in identifying the victims,” Guevarra added.

Officers from Tiaong Municipal Police Station found a burning vehicle at San Francisco Bridge, Barangay San Francisco around 12:10 am after a concerned citizen reported this.

Panganiban said three charred bodies were found inside the vehicle and according to the claim of Mendoza’s family, it is the same vehicle he used when he left their home for a meeting in Laguna.

The other found bodies were believed to be Mendoza’s driver and bodyguard.

“The information we got from his (Mendoza) children is he left their house to meet a client... he ate in Lipa (Batangas) before going to Laguna. After that they lost communication with him,” said Panganiban.

The chief of police said the investigation is ongoing.

Also part of the investigation is why all the bodies were found at the backseat.

“We are investigating why the bodies are there and why not all the things were burned... it was left near the crime scene,” said Panganiban. Ella Dionisio/DMS