THE Olongapo City Regional Trial Court yesterday sentenced to life imprisonment the gunman who confessed to the killing of businessman Dominic Sytin at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone in November last year.
Olongapo City RTC Branch 72 Judge Richard Paradeza found Edgardo Luib guilty of murder. Luib was also found guilty of frustrated murder for the injuries sustained by Sytin’s bodyguard, Efren Espartero, during the attack and sentenced him an additional six to 12 years.
During his arraignment, Luib plead guilty for murdering Sytin and for injuring Espartero on Nov. 18, 2018.
Luib was arrested in Sto. Tomas, Batangas last March 5 on the strength of arrest warrants over murder cases he is facing, including the killing of journalist Mae Magsino and municipal councilor Michael Caringal of Bauan, Batangas.
He pointed to Sytin’s younger brother, Alan Dennis Sytin, as having masterminded the hit on his elder brother, who at the time of his murder was the chief executive of the United Auctioneers Incorporated (UAI).
Luib also tagged Ryan Rementilla, a former employee of UAI fired by Dominic Sy allegedly for embezzling P1 million from the company, in the killing.
Rementilla was formerly employed at the UAI before he was fired by Dominic for allegedly embezzling P1 million from the company.
He also detailed in his sworn statement how the killing of Sytin was planned.
In another order, the court dismissed the motion filed by the younger Sytin seeking to quash or suspend the implementation of the warrant of arrest issued against him.
In his plea, Sytin said the prosecution failed to present evidence that would warrant a finding of probable cause and that the evidence in the complaint raised doubt as to whether Luib was actually the gunman who committed the crime.
But the court dismissed his argument as lacking in merit, adding it had declared in an order dated July 29, 2019 that “there exists probable cause for the crimes charged in the two criminal information against accused Alan Dennis Sytin.”
