The Department of Justice (DOJ) has approved the indictment of 10 individuals for kidnapping and ransom with murder charges before the Regional Trial Court of Sto. Tomas City in Batangas, in connection with the July 19, 2022 abduction and killing of Eduardo Tolosa Jr., owner of Iraseth Pharma, Inc.
In a press briefer, the DOJ said those to be charged as principals are Carlo G. Cadampog, Cesar G. Cadampog, Adrian Joseph Mendez, Richmel Riel P. Ignilan, Jomel Q. Vizcarra, and a person who is known as either Aldrin Antonio or Norman Antonio with an alias “Tomtom.”
The DOJ said that those to be indicted as accomplices are John Benedict V. Dumalanta and Victor R. Ferrer. David Z. Gundran Jr. and Melvin L. Andes will be charged as accessories, it also said.
The resolution of the panel of DOJ prosecutors was issued after conducting preliminary investigations on the complaint filed on Sept. 5, 2022, by the Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group (PNP-AKG) and the family of the victim.
The complaint also named as respondent Melchor P. Andes, a minor.
“After evaluation of the evidence, the Panel of Prosecutors found sufficient evidence to hold respondents, save for Melchor Andes, a minor, for trial,” the DOJ ruled.
“The indictment of respondents for kidnapping for ransom with murder is not only grounded on the extrajudicial confessions of John Benedict Dumalanta, David Gundran Jr., Melvin Andes, Melchor Andes and Victor Ferrer who are all in unison in pointing to Carlo Cadampog as the mastermind in the killing of Tolosa but also on other relevant evidence such as CCTV (closed circuit television) footage and testimonies of other witnesses who corroborated on the plan of Carlo Cadampog to abduct and exact money from Tolosa,” it said.
The DOJ said that Tolosa was abducted on July 19, 2022, and killed the same day in Barangay San Juan, Sto. Tomas City, Batangas where he was buried in a pit dug by Dumalanta, Andes and Ferrer. Rey E. Requejo
It also said the ransom — including $102,700; 2,800 Euros, 186 Singaporean dollars, a Rolex
watch and a Hublot watch — were handed to Cadampog.
The DOJ said Tolosa’s remains were later exhumed and burned by Gundran Jr. and Andes
upon the instructions of Cadampog.
“Thereafter, respondents John Benedict Dumalanta, David Gundran Jr., Melvin Andes, Melchor Andes and Victor Ferrer voluntarily surrendered to the PNP-AKG at Camp Crame where they prepared and executed their respective extra-judicial confessions,” it said.