PNP: Court authorized Nova Parojinog’s Nov 2018 medical furlough

MANILA, Philippines — High-profile inmate Nova Princess Parojinog was allowed to leave her detention cell at Camp Crame, Quezon City, in November 2018 with the court’s permission, the Philippine National Police (PNP) explained Wednesday.

PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said the organization’s leadership is “satisfied” with the explanation of custodial center officials on the circumstances of the medical furlough of Parojinog.

“After a thorough examination of documents and official reports, it became clear that the medical furlough of detainee Parojinog on November 12, 2018, had the express permission of the Court,” he said in a statement.

“Upon order of Hon. Edgardo B Bellosillo, Presiding Judge of  RTC Branch 95 of Quezon City, detainee Parojinog was escorted from the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame at 8:50 AM on November 12, 2018, to the clinic of Dr. Louisse Orasa at Room 801 of Medical City Hospital in Pasig City to undergo Panoramic Dental X-Ray at her own expense and under guard by Custodial Security Escorts,” Banac also said.

The convoy arrived at the medical facility at 9:40 a.m., and after an x-ray procedure was conducted on her, she was “immediately returned” to the custodial center at the police camp at 10 a.m., the PNP official added.

“It should be understood that the same Court granted a separate motion for furlough filed by detainee Parojinog to visit her detained brother Reynaldo Parojinog Jr. at the Metro Manila District Jail Annex 5 in Bicutan, Taguig City on December 23, 2019,” Banac then pointed out.

He said that as part of standard procedures, the chief of the custodial services unit even rendered a written report to the Quezon City RTC Branch 95 on November 13, detailing compliance to the order of the court.

But this granting of a request by QCRTC 95 was already mentioned by the Quezon City RTC Branch 228, which earlier this month ordered the jail warden of the PNP Custodial Center and lawyers of Parojinog to explain why she was allowed to leave the police camp without the latter court’s knowledge.

Nova Princess and her brother Reynaldo Jr. were arrested in a 2017 drug raid that also left their father Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., his wife, and 13 others dead.

Princess Nova is facing drug charges before QCRTC 228 and illegal possession of firearms before QCRTC 95. His brother is facing similar charges apart from illegal possession of explosives.

Edited by KGA