The husband of slain policewoman Diane Marie Mollenido is not yet off the hook in the brutal killings of his wife and son, according to Interior and Local Government Secretary (DILG) Jonvic Remulla.
Police Senior Master Sergeant John Mollenido, 39, remains under restrictive custody as investigators continue to probe his possible involvement in the deaths of Diane Marie, 38, and their eight-year-old son, John Ysmael, both residents of Village Green in Barangay Lower Bicutan, Taguig.
Despite this, John’s lawyer, Cristobal Rimando, said they will file a cyber libel complaint against Pia Katrina Panganiban, one of the suspects in the killings, for allegedly trying to implicate him.
“At present, we are evaluating the filing of a cyber libel case against Pia,” Rimando said, adding that the complaint will be lodged next week before the Office of the City Prosecutor in Parañaque.
Diane Marie and John Ysmael were last seen on Jan. 16 and reported missing by John on Jan. 19.
Diane Marie’s body was found in Pulilan, Bulacan on Jan. 24, while John Ysmael’s was discovered in Victoria, Tarlac on Jan. 29.
Secretary Remulla, in a Feb. 3 press conference, identified the suspects as Pia Katrina, former policeman Christian Suarez Panganiban, Gl Valdemoro Dy Jr., and Maribel Suarez Panganiban.
He said Diane Marie had a P450,000 vehicle transaction with the Panganibans, and was shot in the head by Christian, while her son was strangled after his head was covered with plastic.
Remulla stressed that John is not yet cleared, citing his insistence on cremating his wife immediately with the clothes she died in, and his seemingly emotionless demeanor during interviews.
“We are digging further into the possible angle na kasali ‘yung asawa niya (We are digging further into the possible angle that her husband was involved),” Remulla said.
Rimando, however, maintained that evidence does not establish John’s participation in the crime. He emphasized that restrictive custody is procedural, not proof of guilt, and that John continues to enjoy the constitutional presumption of innocence.
“Emotional distress does not substitute for proof of participation in the alleged offense,” Rimando said, adding that John reserves the right to pursue legal remedies against those who maliciously impute wrongdoing upon him. (Jonathan Hicap)
