2015 Ms World bet cries justice for slain dad, plans to sue cops

2015 Miss Philippines-World Hillarie Danielle Parungao announced at an April 25 news conference her family’s plans to sue the Solano police office for the death of her father, Edmundo Parungao II, after his arrest in a drug buy-bust operation. —VILLAMORVISAYA JR.

BAYOMBONG, NUEVA VIZCAYA—A former beauty queen on Tuesday said her family was preparing to sue police in Solano town for the death of her father, who had been reported to have committed suicide on April 18 while in the custody of policemen.

In a news conference here, 2015 Miss Philippines-World Hillarie Danielle Parungao said she had coordinated with the National Bureau of Investigation and the National Police Commission in Nueva Vizcaya province about the family’s plan to file criminal and administrative charges against policemen for the death of Edmundo Parungao II, her father.

But forensic evidence had established that the elder Parungao took his life at a Solano police station, dousing speculation that he was rubbed out, according to a report released by Chief Insp. James Bag-ey, Nueva Vizcaya crime laboratory chief.

Buy-bust operation

Parungao, 46, had been arrested in a police drug buy-bust operation and taken to the police station where he allegedly snatched the gun of PO2 Mark Baccay and shot himself in the mouth.

“He died at the supposedly safest place in town,” Hillarie said, adding that her father’s supposed suicide was “improbable and hard to believe.”

She also said her father lost P300,000 in cash when he was taken by police.

“There is no truth to that. We recovered only P8,800 from her father, aside from the contraband. This had been declared and inventoried,” said Chief Insp. Billy Mangali, Solano police chief.

According to Hillarie, police did not provide her family with copies of the forensic and ballistic test results from the crime laboratory.
She said she would demand a reenactment of her father’s death to shed light on “the true story about the matter.”

Drug rehab

Mangali said the town police would submit to an impartial investigation. “We would be willing to answer [Hillarie’s charges] once we receive the documents so that we could prove our innocence,” he said.

Hillarie said her father had just completed a drug rehabilitation program and was managing a palay trading business when he was treated for emphysema, a debilitating lung disease, on April 7 at a Nueva Vizcaya hospital.

On April 9, police searched Parungao’s hospital room “without a warrant,” Hillarie said.

Parungao was arrested in a drug operation on April 18. But Hillarie said: “What person, in his right mind, will still peddle and keep in his possession illegal drugs when he was already illegally searched a few days before the incident?” —VILLAMOR VISAYA JR.