Dominic Sytin was the embodiment of a self-made man. From humble beginnings, he had built United Auctioneers Inc. (UAI) into a global powerhouse, the world’s only ISO-certified industrial auction company. He was a respected CEO, a generous philanthropist, and a beloved boss known for treating his employees like family.

So, on the evening of November 28, 2018, when his life was tragically and violently cut short in a brazen public incident outside a luxury hotel in Subic, the business community and the nation were left asking: who would want to harm a man so widely admired? The answer, when it finally emerged, would reveal a story not of a business rivalry, but of a devastating betrayal born from within his own family.

The incident was as swift as it was brutal. As the 51-year-old Sytin stepped out of his vehicle, a lone assailant, his face obscured by a red handkerchief, approached from behind. In a matter of seconds, the perpetrator ended the tycoon’s life with a calculated shot before wounding his bodyguard and escaping on a waiting motorcycle.

The brazenness of the act in a secure area like the Subic Bay Freeport Zone sparked a massive investigation and a public outcry from friends, family, and prominent politicians who knew Dominic as a friend and a key contributor to the Philippine economy.

For nearly four months, the case was a frustrating puzzle. Investigators had CCTV footage and an abandoned getaway motorcycle with its serial numbers scratched off, but no clear suspect. The Sytin family, desperate for answers, offered a one-million-peso reward.

The breakthrough finally came in March 2019, when police arrested a man named Edgardo Luib in Batangas. A single fingerprint, a latent print lifted from the side mirror of the getaway motorcycle, matched his.

In custody, Luib confessed. He was a gun-for-hire, and his confession blew the case wide open, revealing a conspiracy far more shocking than anyone had imagined. He named his recruiter, a man named Oliver Fuentes, also known as Ryan Rementilla.

Then, he named the alleged mastermind, the person who had put up one million pesos for the hit: Dominic Sytin’s own younger brother, Dennis Sytin.

Suddenly, the case was no longer about a random act of violence but a chilling story of fraternal betrayal. The investigation delved into the complex history between the two brothers and uncovered a deep-seated motive rooted in greed and resentment.

Both Dennis Sytin and his alleged accomplice, Ryan Rementilla, were former employees of Dominic’s company, UAI. Rementilla had been a highly trusted manager whom Dominic had discovered was embezzling millions from the company. In an act of what many would see as incredible kindness, Dominic chose not to file criminal charges, simply firing him to avoid a larger scandal.

Tragically, he had shown the same mercy to his own brother. In 2015, Dominic discovered that Dennis, who was serving as the company’s Chief Operating Officer, was also stealing from him. Like with Rementilla, Dominic fired his brother but did not pursue legal action.

After his dismissal, Dennis started his own rival truck-trading business and, in a fateful move, hired the other disgruntled ex-employee, Ryan Rementilla. The two reportedly bonded over their shared resentment for the man who had shown them both leniency.

Investigators believe that Dennis, angry over his dismissal and allegedly pressuring his older brother for a larger “share” of the family empire, conspired with Rementilla to arrange the hit.

Though Dennis publicly denied the allegations, claiming he was a scapegoat, the evidence was compelling enough for a judge to issue an arrest warrant. But in a frustrating turn for the family and investigators, both Dennis Sytin and Ryan Rementilla vanished before the warrants could be served, fleeing the country and becoming international fugitives.

For nearly six years, the quest for justice stalled. The gunman, Edgardo Luib, was tried and sentenced to a long prison term in 2019, but the alleged masterminds remained at large. The Sytin family refused to give up. They increased the reward for information to a staggering 15 million pesos and used social media to keep the faces of the two fugitives in the public eye, ensuring the case would not go cold.

Their tireless efforts finally paid off. In 2024, after years of international police cooperation, the two main suspects were finally captured. Ryan Rementilla was found and arrested in Iligan City. Shortly after, Dennis Sytin was located and apprehended in Malaysia.

After a nearly six-year flight from justice, the man accused of orchestrating the tragic passing of his own brother is now being extradited back to the Philippines to finally face trial, bringing the Sytin family one crucial step closer to the final chapter in their long and painful search for accountability.