The PNP Headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City. PNP FACEBOOK PAGE
MANILA, Philippines — The chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Unit was relieved from his post and slapped with a criminal complaint for allegedly sexually assaulting former Ozamiz City Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog while in detention in Camp Crame.
“That’s basic, because there was an incident, a complaint by Nova Parojinog,” PNP spokesman Col. Ysmael Yu told INQUIRER.net Friday about the move to sack and send Lieutenant Colonel Jigger Noceda to assign him to a police holding unit.
Parojinog was arrested after a pre-dawn raid on July 30, 2017, where his father, former Ozamiz Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, and six others died in San Roque Lawis in Ozamiz City.
Nova Princess has since been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center, facing illegal drugs and firearms possession charges.
A report by Rappler said that Noceda sexually attacked Parojinog twice inside his office.
On June 9, Noceda allegedly kissed the former vice mayor, while on September 7 the police official purportedly touched her private parts, the report added.
Yu said that a criminal complaint was filed Wednesday against Noceda by the Women and Children’s Protection Center (WCPC) before the Quezon City Prosecutors Office.
The police force spokesman added that the WCPC “is already on top of the situation and they have already taken action.”
Noceda is now in the custody of the Headquarters Support Service (PNP-HSS) while awaiting development of the case, Yu said.
“Kapag mayroong administrative sanction diyan… they will be under administration. Member pa naman sila ng PNP so under the disciplinary authority ng PNP doon sa direct superior niya. Like the HSS, hawak ngayon siya,” he said when asked where Noceda is staying.
(When there is an administrative sanction, they will be under administration. He is still a member of the PNP so under the disciplinary authority of the PNP, at his direct superior. Like the HSS, it is taking him under custody.)
President Rodrigo Duterte had tagged the Parojinogs in the illegal drug trade operations in Mindanao.