Slain policewoman's sister defends brother-in-law in double murder probe
The sibling of the murdered policewoman is defending her sister's estranged husband, saying he is not to blame for allowing the immediate cremation of his wife and son's remains.
In a Facebook post, Daisie Gabres, who identified herself as the sibling of Police Senior Master Sergeant Diane Marie Mollenido and aunt of Mollenido's slain son John Ysmael, shared why she and her family are speaking up for her sister's estranged husband John, who held the same position as his wife in the police force before he was dismissed from the service.
According to her, it was not the husband's fault that his wife and son's remains were cremated quickly, as they were supposedly told the bodies were already in an advanced stage of decomposition and were no longer fit for viewing.
"Bakit namin tinutulungan si John? Dahil gusto namin ng hustisya. Gusto namin na 'yung totong taong gumawa sa ate ko ang managot at hindi si John Mollenido," she wrote.
"Bakit sinisisi siya sa pagpapacremate agad? Hindi po niya desisyon ang pagpapacremate agad. Ang sinabi sa amin ay [kailangan] na icremate agad dahil advance stage na ng decomposition at hindi na ito pwede for viewing. Napagdesisyunan namin na sundin nalang kung ano sinasabi sa'min," she continued.
She added that she was not in the right state of mind when she had to make decisions about funeral details for her sister and nephew. Although they were told by Taguig Police not to touch articles from the crime scene and were forbidden to include them in the cremation, Gabres said she inadvertently agreed to the opposite when asked if the clothes would be burned as well.
"Ang pagpapacremate ng damit ay desisyon namin kasama ang kapatid ko at wala kaming idea na pati 'yung mga gamit na kasama sa crime scene ay isinama din sa [pagke-]cremate," Gabres said.
"Bago pa kami dumating sa punenarya ay nasabihan na ng Taguig Police na wag gagalawin ang mga gamit at wag isama sa pag cremate," she wrote. "Wala po ako sa tamang pag iisip noong oras na 'yon kaya kung ako tatanungin kung isasama ang damit niya ay oo ang nasagot ko dahil akala ko ok lang ito. Kung alam ko lang na pati ['yung] mga kumot kung sinabi lang nila [sa akin] sa tingin niyo na papayag ako? Papayag kami? Hindi!"
"[May] instruction [na] po ang police sa punenarya bago pa kami dumating," she reiterated.
Gabres ended her statement by sharing that she hoped her former brother-in-law would be given the chance to clear his name. She also asked people to stop judging him for not showing outward grief.
"Kung [may] sobrang nasasaktan sa nangyari, siya po," Gabres said, adding he still has to care for his two remaining children aged 15 and four.
Double murder case
The slain mother and son were last seen on Jan. 16, when they supposedly went to Novaliches to see her godchild, who allegedly acted as the agent to sell a unit of Toyota Innova on behalf of Mollenido.
According to DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla, Mollenido and her son were killed for P450,000, the amount Mollenido was selling the vehicle for.
"Parang pinag-interesan 'yung P450,000 na presyo ng Innova na binebenta. Nabili na eh, ibibigay na dapat 'yung pera kay Diane pero hindi rin binigay. Imbes na binigay, binaril na lang siya," Remulla said.
Mollenido's body was found on Jan. 24 in a creek along Pulilan-Baliuag Bypass Road with a gunshot on her left ear. Her son's body was discovered over a week later in a calamansi farm in Tarlac. Central Luzon Police said he died of asphyxia by suffocation, citing autopsy results.
The suspects have been identified and are under custody: Pia Katrina Panganiban, Christian Suarez Panganiban, and their helper Gil Valdemoro Dy Jr. Christian's sister Maribel Panganiban also surrendered to the police.
Remulla now considers the case closed.
As of Feb. 6, however, John was still under the restrictive custody of the police. “Isa nalang po ang anggulong tinitignan namin—‘yung anggulo ng asawa ni Diane na si John Mollenido,” Remulla said. “Si John Mollenido at si Diane ay hiwalay na ng tatlong taon, ngunit nung nalaman na namatay ‘yung kanyang asawa, imbes na i-subject sa autopsy ay pinacremate kaagad kasama ang suot na damit.”
According to Remulla, John didn’t show remorse when he was asked about his possible involvement in the case. “Hindi umiiyak, hindi malungkot. Asawa’t anak ang pinatay.”
His former wife's family has withdrawn their criminal complaint against him last week, though police are still pursuing obstruction of justice and administrative cases against him.