THE Department of Justice may ask the Supreme Court for the transfer of the cases filed against the Parajinog siblings if Ozamiz judges inhibit from handling the cases.
Senior assistant state prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, head of the DOJ panel handling the cases, said Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II could seek the transfer of cases before the Supreme Court as he did in the cases against arrested Maute terrorists and supporters.
“It will be up to the (DOJ) management to seek the transfer of cases if there are no takers among the Ozamiz RTC judges,” he said.
The DOJ made a comment after Judges Edmundo Pintac of the Ozamiz RTC Branch 15 and Salome Dungog of the Ozamiz RTC Branch 35 both expressed plans to inhibit from the cases against the siblings.
“It should be heard and tried in a neutral place, not here in Ozamiz,” Pintac said in a television interview.
Dungog, for his part, explained that he would inhibit from the case because he is already set to retire on Aug. 22.
The DOJ ordered the filing of criminal charges against Ozamiz Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog-Echavez and her brother, Reynaldo Jr., in connection with the anti-drug operation that killed their father Reynaldo Sr., the city’s mayor, in July 30.
In a 14-page resolution dated Aug. 2, the DOJ charged Echavez with violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and also with illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Her brother Reynaldo Jr. is also facing three counts of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. He is also facing a separate case for illegal possession of explosives before a Ozamiz court.
The drug charges stemmed from the seizure of plastic sachets containing shabu from the siblings during the raid.
The DOJ cited the plain view doctrine and indicted the siblings for drug possession even if the search warrant used for the raids was only for illegal firearms.
The absence of licenses for the firearms seized from the vice mayor’s house warranted their indictment for illegal possession of firearms.
On Aug. 4, Aguirre issued an immigration lookout bulletin order Ozamiz Councilor Ricardo Parojinog who managed to evade arrest.
In a memorandum, Aguirre directed Immigration Commissioner Jaime Morente to instruct all immigration officers in the country’s airports and seaports to be on the lookout to prevent attempts of Ricardo to leave the country. (pna)
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