MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE)  - Two suspects in the murder of car dealer Venson Evangelista are now in police custody while 4 others remain at large, police said on Friday.

Police Superintendent Allan Purisima, Central Luzon police director, said suspects Alfred Mendiola (alias Allan Torres) and a certain Batibot Parulan are now under arrest for the murder of Evangelista.

He said 4 other suspects remain at large. They are a certain alias Joel (the mechanic), alias Rolly (the gunman) and masterminds Roger and Raymond Dominguez.

Purisima said police were able to find Mendiola's house and were about to arrest him when he surrendered. The official said Mendiola and Parulan confessed to Evangelista's murder and pointed to the Dominguez brothers, heads of the Dominguez carjacking syndicate, as the masterminds behind the killing.

The Dominguez brothers were freed on bail last month after facing robbery and carjacking charges.

Evangelista, 30, went missing in Quezon City on January 13.

Police earlier said a suspect, disguised as a transvestite, introduced himself as Allan Torres to Evangelista.

Torres was a prospective buyer of the Toyota Land Cruiser being sold by Evangelista’s father, Arsenio.

The transvestite went to Evangelista’s car shop in Cubao, Quezon City with a mechanic for a test drive of Evangelista's vehicle on January 13. It was the last time he was seen alive.

Evangelista’s body was found a day later in Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija.

Police Superintendent Eliseo Cruz, Cabanatuan police chief, said Evangelista had a deep wound in the nape while his face was covered with packaging tape.

His body was burned using a rubber tire and then dumped near an irrigation canal in Purok 1 in Buliran.

Link to Lozano killing

Chief Superintendent Benito Estipona, Task Force Lozano head, said Mendiola was positively identified by Evangelista's helper as the man who expressed interest in buying Evangelista's car last week. He said the 2nd suspect confessed to the police that he had some items that were stolen from Evangelista.

Estipona said the 2 suspects used to share a jail cell with the Dominguez brothers in Bulacan. "They were freed after the Dominguez brothers paid their bail," he said.

Meanwhile, Purisima said Mendiola and Parulan also confessed that their group had a hand in the killing of Emerson Lozano, son of lawyer Oliver Lozano, and his companion, Ernanie Sensil.

Sensil's body was discovered on January 13 in Barangay Matayumtayum in La Paz, Tarlac, while Lozano’s charred body was found at the quarry site in Barangay Mancatian, Porac, Pampanga.

Police said carjacking syndicates operating in Quezon City and Central Luzon might be responsible for the killings.

Raymond Dominguez, meanwhile, denied the charge and said he and his brother had nothing to do with the killings.

In an exclusive interview with TV Patrol, Dominguez denied knowing Mendiola or Parulan. "Yun po ba yung bakla? Hindi ho namin kilala yan," he said.

He added that he will cooperate with authorities if they are summoned to an investigation. "They don't have to arrest us because we are willing to cooperate," he said.

Dominguez said he and his brother have stayed home after being linked to the killings.

Asked if they are involved in carjackings, he replied: "Eh hanggat hindi ho napapatunayan sa korte, kasi nasa buy and sell business din po kami, hindi ho naiiwasan yung ganyang mga tsismis na ganun."

Focus on car theft gangs

President Benigno Aquino III has ordered  the Philippine National Police to focus on the spate of carjacking incidents and intensify its intelligence gathering in identifying car theft groups.

In a press briefing in Malacanang on Friday, PNP Spokesperson Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said the President issued the directives to PNP Chief Director General Raul Bacalzo in a closed-door meeting this morning.

In the same briefing, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the President has tasked the PNP to leave no stone unturned in resolving the series of carjacking incidents.

Cruz assured the public that in the soonest possible time or immediately after the result of its ongoing police operations in Central Luzon, they would announce the developments on the cases of Emerson Lozano and Venzon Evangelista.

“Sabay-sabay nating ihahayag ang mga developments sa nasabing kaso immediately after the series of our ongoing operations,” Cruz said, noting that the President did not issue a timetable to resolve the cases knowing that it would only create pressure on the investigators and aggravate the actual investigations.

Cruz said the PNP is now increasing police visibility and setting up checkpoints in strategic areas of Metro Manila.

“All police regional offices down to the municipal police offices are required to conduct police patrol and checkpoints,” Cruz said.

Libel case

The Evangelista family, meanwhile, said they plan to file a libel case against TV anchor Erwin Tulfo for insinuating that their son was involved in a carjacking syndicate.

Boy Evangelista said he was surprised to hear Tulfo's report that his son was probably killed because of an internal dispute in the syndicate.

"As a father, napakasakit non. Ang apila ko lang 100% I deny it. Now I challenge the lead agencies to make a background check on Venson and Emerson. Namatayan na ako ng anak na hindi basta normal ang pagkamatay. Tapos ganun pa. So I am considering, I will ask my lawyers if I can file a libel case," he said.

He added that their family has been receiving death threats since Venson's death.

"We're planning to migrate, the whole family plans to migrate. That's one option. The business climate here is too scary," he said.

He again urged lawmakers to consider making carjacking a non-bailable crime. - With reports from Gretchen Malalad and Atom Araullo, ABS-CBN News