THE Court of Appeals has junked with finality the appeal of Reynaldo Parojinog Jr. seeking the dismissal of the illegal possession of firearms charges against him.
In a two-page ruling promulgated last September 7, the CA’s Former Special Eight Division affirmed the August 2019 ruling of Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 105 Judge Editha Mina Aguba denying the motion filed by Parojinog.
Parojinog argued the evidence presented by the prosecution was illegally obtained, saying the search warrant used by the police in a raid on his house in Barangay Sta. Cruz, Ozamiz City in June 2017 was invalid.
He said the executive judge of Branch 89 of the Quezon City RTC issued the search warrants without probable cause, claiming the witnesses had no personal knowledge of the case and the judge failed to make probing questions to determine probable cause.
Parojinog is the son of former Ozamiz City mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., who was killed along with his wife and brother and 12 others in a police raid on the same day on their residence in Ozamiz City.
The CA said it found no compelling reason to grant Parojinog’s motion.
“Petitioner has not shown any cogent or compelling reason to warrant a reversal or even a modification of the aforesaid decision. Hence, the dismissal of the petition for certiorari must be sustained,” the ruling penned by Associate Justice Ramon Garcia said.
Among the firearms recovered were a 12-gauge shotgun, Paraordinance caliber 40 and an Ingram submachine pistol.
Parojinog was also charged with possession of illegal drugs after 116.9 grams of shabu was seized in the same raid.
The cases were initially heard by the Ozamiz City RTC but the Department of Justice petitioned for a transfer of venue that was granted by the Supreme Court.
Parojinog is serving life for the drug possession case at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City after he was convicted in May last year.