Parojinogs deny involvement in slay of Ozamiz judge

Vice Mayor Nova Parojinog and Reynaldo Parojinog Jr.

Detained Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog has denied her family’s involvement in the murder of Ozamiz City Judge Edmundo Pintac, who once handled the drug and firearm cases against her.

Pintac was ambushed by unidentified assailants while he was heading home on Monday, October 9.

READ: Ozamiz City RTC executive judge killed in ambush

Police Director General Oscar Albayalde earlier said that Pintac’s involvement in the cases of the Parojinogs was a “strong angle” behind his killing.

READ: PNP eyeing link between killing of Ozamiz judge and cases vs Parojinogs

“We vehemently deny news reports that the Parojinog family was behind the murder of Judge Pintac. To set the record straight, I, nor any member of the Parojinog family, was not involved in any way to the incident,” Parojinog said in a statement on Wednesday

Parojinog said her family “condemns in the strongest terms” the murder of the judge.

She said the criminal cases against her and her brother Reynaldo Parojinog Jr. were initially raffled to the sala of Pintac but the judge inhibited himself.

“Currently, the cases filed against me and my brother are being tried by the Regional Trial Courts of Quezon City,” she said.

Parojinog said the only instance that Pintac was involved in their cases was when he denied their request to return to Ozamiz City to pay their respects to their parents, Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. and Susan Parojinog, who were killed in police raids in July 2017.

She said they respected the judge’s ruling on their request.

“The cold-blooded murder of Judge Pintac does not in any way benefit me, my brother or my family,” she said.

She added that the Parojinogs also wanted the masterminds behind the killing to be prosecuted. /cbb

Cathrine Gonzales

INQUIRER.net