Dennis Sytin denies links to his brother Dominic’s killing

MANILA, Philippines – Businessman Dennis Sytin on Monday, April 1, denied allegations he was behind the death of his brother, Dominic Sytin.

Dominic was killed by two unidentified men near the Lighthouse Hotel in Subic, Zambales, on November 28, 2018. Police caught Edgardo Luib, the suspected gunman behind the killing, on March 5. 

The Philippine National Police (PNP) later tagged Dennis Sytin as the mastermind behind the killing, saying there was a “direct link” between Luib and him.

Dennis allegedly reached Luib through suspected middleman Ryan Remintilla, who worked with Dominic at United Auctioneers under the name “Oliver Fuentes” until he was fired for redirecting company money for personal gain.

Countering claims

Dennis sought to dispute the claim, submitting a counter-affidavit to the Department of Justice. He said Luib – who claimed Dennis instructed him to kill Dominic through the middleman – failed to give clear and positive identification of the alleged mastermind.

“I am not capable of murder. I have no derogatory record. I had no participation or involvement in the murder of my brother, Dominic. I have never met Luib. I did not socialize with Oliver outside work,” Dennis claimed. 

Opposing a claim by Luib, Dennis said he was not at All Hands Beach Resort in Subic when a plan to kill his brother was allegedly planned in September 2018.

Dennis explained: “There is no clear and categorical statement from Luib that I was the person he and Oliver met with and talked to in September 2018 at All Hands beach…. There is no physical evidence which shows my purported link to the planning and perpetration of the crime to corroborate Luib’s statements.”

Dennis instead pointed to Fuentes as the mastermind, based on evidence presented by the police, as he had motive – becoming disgruntled after being fired in August 2018 for allegedly padding job orders and pocketing P1 million from United Auctioneers’ collections. 

“The overwhelming evidence on record shows that it was Oliver who was the mastermind of Dominic’s murder from whom all instructions to Luib emanated,” the counter-affidavit reads.

Dennis also noted he was cooperating with the investigation. He also cited polygraph test results showing consistencies in his statements to show his innocence. “My full cooperation in the investigation and favorable polygraph test results are proof positive that I do not have a guilty conscience and that I am with my whole family in seeking justice for the death of my brother Dominic,” he added.

Extrajudicial confessions

In an extrajudicial confession, Luib said Dennis was the mastermind behind the death of Dominic, while tagging Fuentes as well.

Luib said he was promised P1 million to kill Dominic, but was paid only P50,000.

In his counter-affidavit, Dennis urged investigators to continue the investigation on other possible suspects in the killing of his brother. He denied the allegations and believed he was being used as a scapegoat in the case. 

The panel handling the case will resume its preliminary investigation on April 15. The panel is made up of Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro C. Navera, with Prosecutor Weldell P. Bendoval and Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Gino Angelo P. Yanga as members. – Rappler.com