By JEFF DAMICOG
Detained Ozamiz City Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog-Echavez and her brother Reynaldo Parojinog Jr. were charged yesterday before the Ozamiz City regional trial court after police found them illegally possessing illegal drugs and inside their respective homes.
Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, one of the prosecutors who handled their cases, confirmed that the charges were “already filed this morning (August 4).”
The vice mayor was charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition under Section 28 of Republic Act 10591, the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, as well as possession of dangerous drugs under Section 11 of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Her brother meantime was charged with three counts of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, possession of illegal drugs, and illegal possession of explosives under Section 1 of Republic Act 9516, the Act Amending Presidential Decree 1866 on the Unlawful Manufacture, Sales, Acquisition, Disposition, Importation or Possession of an Explosive or Incendiary Device.
“The drugs charges are non-bailable, the firearms cases are bailable,” Navera noted.
The charges were filed against the siblings after the Department of Justice issued a resolution on Thursday which found probable cause to indict them.
Armed with search warrants issued by Quezon City Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert, the siblings were arrested before dawn Sunday during a series of raids conducted by the PNP Criminal Investigation Detection Group against their family in Ozamiz City.
The operations resulted in the death of 15 persons including their father, Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., as well as his wife Susan and brother, Misamis Occidental provincial board member Octavio Parojinog.
President Rodrigo Duterte himself identified the Parojinogs as being involved in the illegal drugs trade.