Slain cop’s husband seeks release from restrictive custody — PNP
MANILA, Philippines — Police Senior Master Sgt. John Mollenido, estranged husband of slain policewoman Diane Marie Mollenido, has requested to be released from restrictive custody over the investigation into her killing, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Monday.
John had voluntarily submitted himself to the authorities over a week ago, but was placed under the National Capital Region Police Office’s restrictive custody over the ongoing probe.
“The lawyer of our victim’s husband made an appeal. They appealed to have him removed from restrictive custody because he was not mentioned by the victim’s family,” PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said in Filipino in a press briefing in Camp Crame.
In a phone interview with reporters later on Monday, John’s legal counsel, Cristobal Rimando, confirmed the request.
“He already lost his family members, yet he was jailed and not given time to grieve. And he has already been negatively publicized in the media. Let’s have time to grieve. That’s what the appeal is all about,” the lawyer said in Filipino.
READ: Slain cop’s sister defends brother-in-law who remains a suspect
A copy of the request from Mollenido’s camp showed the appeal was made in a letter dated Feb. 5 to PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, and National Police Commission Executive Officer Rafael Calinisan.
The police previously confirmed that his sister-in-law, Daisy Gabres, had withdrawn the case against John over the killing of Diane and their son, John Ysmael.
Nonetheless, according to Tuaño, John still faces a case for obstruction of justice lodged by the police over obstruction of justice for allegedly insisting on cremating Diane’s remains immediately despite the ongoing probe.
Thus, the PNP has yet to render a decision on whether to release John, Tuaño added.
However, according to Rimando, their camp has yet to be formally notified of the obstruction of justice case against John.
“The police had custody of the cadaver, including the dress. Why was my client able to get it? That’s the number one question. Why was my client able to recover them if it was not released by the police?” Rimando said.
“There was no intent for my client to damage or ruin the evidence because, in the first place, he had nothing to do with the crime,” he added.
Rimando also said their camp planned to file a cyber libel case against persons who pointed to John as the mastermind behind the killings, but declined to name whom they would file a complaint against.
READ: Slain cop’s husband not off the hook in case, says DILG chief
Calinisan previously said that despite Gabres withdrawing her criminal complaint against John, Napolcom will still investigate him for possible administrative liabilities.
In a social media post over the weekend, Gabres defended John, saying they had been “told that [Diane’s] body had to be cremated immediately because it was already in an advanced stage of decomposition and could no longer be viewed.”
Asked for comment, Tuaño said in Filipino, “They can use their defense in the hearing proper where it will be used in court proceedings.”
Car agent Pia Katrina Panganiban and her husband, Christian, a dismissed police officer, allegedly killed Diane and John Ysmael at the former’s home in Novaliches, Quezon City, last Jan. 16 after supposedly scamming Diane of P1 million for a sports utility vehicle, according to the police investigation.
The couple was allegedly assisted by their helper and Christian’s sister.
Diane’s body was found in a creek in Bulacan last Jan. 24, while John Ysmael’s body was found in a grassy area in a calamansi farm in Tarlac last Jan. 29.
Pia, Christian, and their helper were arrested last Jan. 30, while Christian’s sister surrendered to the police last Feb. 2. /mcm
