Suspect in murder of policewoman and son enters not guilty plea

One of the suspects in the murder of policewoman, Senior M/Sgt. Diane Marie Mollenido, and her eight-year-old son John Ysmael, entered a "not guilty" plea in the case.

ABS-CBN News reported on Wednesday, Feb. 25, that Gil Dy denied the allegations against him during his arraignment at the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 83.

His co-accused, Pia and Christian Panganiban, meanwhile, filed a motion to quash the charges through their legal representatives due to illegal arrest.

The three suspects were formally charged with two counts of murder, with no bail recommended, after the investigating prosecutor found prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction against them.

Mollenido's body was found in a creek along Pulilan-Baliuag Bypass Road on Jan. 24. She had a gunshot wound on her left ear.

Her son was found dead in a calamansi farm in Tarlac more than a week later. Autopsy results showed that he died of asphyxia by suffocation, according to Central Luzon Police.

Southern Police District public information officer Lt. Margaret Panaga said Mollenido and her son were last seen on Jan. 16, when they were reportedly going to Novaliches to see her godchild.

When the two did not return home, Mollenido's estranged husband John and his siblings reported them missing to authorities on Jan. 19.

The suspects were arrested in two operations in Brgy. San Agustin and San Bartolome in Quezon City. Police had retrieved P100,000 in cash and the phones of the two victims from the nabbing of the three suspects.

Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said a car transaction was a motive in their killing.

"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.