Ozamiz court denies Parojinog siblings’ request to attend parents’ wake

Ozamiz Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog and her brother Reynaldo Parojinog Jr. arrive at the NAIA from Ozamiz City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/Marianne Bermudez

The Ozamiz City regional trial court denied the request of Parojinog siblings Ozamiz City Vice Mayor Nova Princess and Reynaldo Jr. to attend the wake of their parents and other family members who were killed in a raid conducted by the police last month.

READ: Mayor Parojinog killed in Ozamiz raid; daughter arrested — police

In a three-page order, Ozamiz RTC Executive Judge Edmundo P. Pintac said that while they commiserate with the siblings and offered their condolences, they also have to consider the safety and security not only of Nova Princess and Reynaldo Jr. but also the police escorts as well.

“The court chooses the path of caution and gives greater weight to the assessment of the police more especially that of the Ozamiz city police,” the court said.

The court took into consideration the information coming from the Ozamiz City Police citing intelligence information about a “daring and bloody rescue of the accused [that] would be carried out once the accused are allowed furlough.”

“Additionally, the Court takes notice that emotions are high between people who are sympathetic to the accused-movants and people who are against them. The Court is overly concerned for good reason that the presence of the accused-movants would provide the spark that would ignite and cause those emotions to erupt and for the opposing sides to turn violent and clash against each other, thereby endangering the security and safety of the accused-movants,” the court said.

The siblings specifically wanted to attend the wake and burial of their parents Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Sr. and mother Susan, uncle Octavio Jr. and aunt Mona.

The siblings insisted that they still enjoy the presumption of innocence even if a non-bailable offense has been filed against them.

Nova Princess is facing a case for Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 specifically Section 11 for possession of dangerous drugs and violation of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition under Section 28 of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

On the other hand, her brother Reynaldo Jr. is facing three counts of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. He is also facing a separate case for illegal possession of explosives under RA 9516 and possession of dangerous drugs under RA 9165.

The siblings were arrested in a simultaneous raids conducted by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) last month. JPV