Enzo’s widow asks court to dismiss parricide rap

MANILA, Philippines -  The widow of slain international race car driver Ferdinand “Enzo” Pastor has asked a Quezon City court to dismiss the parricide case against her.

Records from the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 91 showed that lawyer Redemberto Villanueva, who represents Dahlia Guerrero-Pastor, has filed a motion to dismiss the case against his client.

Guerrero-Pastor is facing charges for the murder of her husband on June 12, 2014 at the corner of Congressional and Visayas Avenues in Quezon City.

The court refused to release a copy of the motion, but Villanueva told reporters yesterday that he is seeking the dismissal of the case on the basis of forum shopping.

A hearing on the motion was scheduled yesterday, but journalists were not allowed in the courtroom.

A warrant of arrest has yet to be issued against Guerrero-Pastor, who has yet to surface after she and businessman Domingo “Sandy” de Guzman III were tagged by the alleged gunman as the masterminds of the crime.

According to Villanueva, his client does not need to attend the preliminary investigation conducted by Department of Justice (DOJ) as she has the constitutional right to remain silent.

Pastor’s parents, Tom and Remy, also attended the hearing.

Meanwhile, the Regional Trial Court Branch 85, where the murder case against De Guzman was filed, has set a hearing on March 10.

The businessman filed a motion for determination of probable cause before the court, blocking the issuance of an arrest warrant against him.

Last week, the DOJ approved the indictment of the two, citing the confession of Police Officer 2 Edgar Angel.