Charred bodies of ex-lawmaker, two aides found in vehicle

Police on Thursday said bodies of a former lawmaker in the Philippines, his driver and bodyguard, were found burned inside a car.
The bodies of former congressman Edgar Mendoza and his two aides were discovered at the backseat of the car on a bridge in the town of Tiaong in Quezon province, 85 kilometres south of Manila.
“Police received a call about the burning vehicle before dawn,’’ Major Lawrence Panganiban, the chief of police in Tiaong, said.
The vehicle was confirmed to be owned by Mendoza, a member of the House of Representatives between 1998 and 2001, and who before then, was head of the Bureau of Immigration.
“He has been a private lawyer since his term as lawmaker ended.
“He had left his house on Wednesday to meet with a client in nearby Laguna province,’’ Panganiban said.
He added that police would conduct DNA tests on the charred bodies to confirm identities of the victims.
“Some of the personal belongings of the victims were found scattered a few metres away from the vehicle.
“We will do everything to solve this case,” Panganiban stated.