The DILG-Napolcom Building on EDSA corner Quezon Avenue in Quezon City. Image from the DILG’s Facebook page.
MANILA, Philippines — The National Police Commission (Napolcom) will be conducting an investigation against Police Lieutenant Colonel Jigger Noceda, who was accused of sexually assaulting detained former Ozamiz Vice Mayor Nova Parojinog, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said Tuesday.
“Yes, we’ll investigate,” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, also director of Napolcom, told INQUIRER.net in a text message asking if the Napolcom will undertake a separate probe against Noceda, who was relieved as chief of PNP Custodial Unit last week after allegedly sexually harassing Parojinog twice.
Año said they will first wait for the report coming from the PNP regarding the case of Noceda before proceeding with its investigation.
“We’ll have to wait [for] the report of the PNP then [Napolcom] will assign an investigator,” Año said.
Meanwhile, PNP chief Police General Camilo Cascolan confirmed in a separate text message that PNP-Internal Affairs Service (IAS) was already tasked to investigate the allegations against Noceda.
In another interview, PNP IAS chief lawyer Alfegar Triambulo said they began the pre-charge investigation against Noceda while collecting statements from Parojinog.
“Nag-conduct na pre charge investigation ang IAS sa case ni Noceda ng PNP Custodial. Tapos na rin naku[ha]nan [si] Nova [Parojinog] ng statement [noong] Saturday,” he said in a text message to reporters regarding an update on IAS probe against the accused police officer.
(We conducted a pre-charge investigation on the case of Noceda of the PNP Custodial Unit. We also received the statement from Nova last Saturday.)
Napolcom’s revised rules of procedure defined pre-charge investigation as a preliminary examination and evaluation of the complaint to determine whether there is existence or non-existence of probable cause.
Noceda was slapped with complaints of rape, acts of lasciviousness, unjust vexation, and violation of the Safe Spaces Act last Oct. 7 before the Office of the Prosecutor’s Office in Quezon City for reportedly sexually harassing Parojinog on June 9 and on Sept. 7.
Noceda also became controversial in 2000 when he was charged for planting evidence against a suspect in a drug bust. The case of Noceda, who was a former police officer 2 or police corporal at the time, was however, dismissed.
Noceda, then chief inspector of Carmona, Cavite police, was sacked and charged with torture in 2015 after he was caught beating up a suspect as shown in a recorded video.