Immigration bureau on lookout for Enzo Pastor’s wife

MANILA, Philippines – Without an arrest warrant to bar her from exiting the country, Daliah Pastor, wife of slain racer Enzo Pastor, has been placed on the Bureau of Immigration’s lookout bulletin so authorities would be alerted if she attempts to leave the country.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima told reporters that the Immigration Lookout Bulletin (ILB) order against Daliah Guerrero-Pastor and two suspects in Pastor’s murder – alleged mastermind businessman Domingo de Guzman III and confessed gunman Police Officer 2 Edgar Angel – were issued on Friday, August 29.

Enzo Pastor was gunned down on June 12 by men on a motorcycle.

Investigators – both from the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Immigration (NBI) – are looking at a “love triangle” as the motive behind Pastor’s death.

On Wednesday, police announced they had nabbed De Guzman and Angel. 

Dahlia is considered a “person of interest” by authorities and was included in the inquest proceedings. (During a press conference, police identified Pastor’s wife as “Dahlia.” The Immigration Lookout Bulletin, however, identifies her as “Daliah.”)

With the issuance of an ILB order, immigration officials need to inform the justice department, the National Prosecution Service, and the police should Daliah attempt to leave the country. 

She will then need to obtain an emigration clearance certificate before being allowed to fly out. 

But even before the lookout bulletin was issued, De Lima said the immigration bureau had been on alert for Daliah’s possible escape attempt.

Without a warrant of arrest against her, nothing can stop Dahlia from leaving the country, but De Lima said “we can come up with a sufficient reason…legal basis to prevent [Daliah’s] departure even if there is no warrant of arrest.”

“If [Daliah] attempts to leave, clear ‘yan na tumatakas (it’s clear that she intends to escape), indication ‘yan of flight, indication ‘yan that she is evading possible prosecution. So kapag may ganyan (if that happens)… then p’wede natin ipasok na (we can say that it’s) obstruction of justice. So I will consider that,” said De Lima.

Angel, whose confession led to the arrest of De Guzman, has not applied to be under the Witness Protection Program, said De Lima. It will be up to the prosecutor to evaluate his ability to be a state witness, she added. – Bea Cupin/Rappler.com