The Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Friday found the son of the slain Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. guilty of illegal possession of prohibited drugs.
Branch 79 Judge Nadine Jessica Corazon Fama sentenced Reynaldo Parojinog Jr. to life in jail and to pay a P500,000 fine.
“The prosecution was able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that on July 30, 2017, the accused was in possession of more than 50 grams of shabu, a dangerous drug,” Fama’s 22-page decision read.
Fama said Parojinog failed to present evidence to rebut the accusations against him or his claim that the pieces of evidence against him were planted.
“The denial of the accused cannot be given credence by the Court. The claim of the defense that the drugs found in the house of the accused were planted was unsubstantiated by clear and convincing evidence,Fama’s decision says.
“It must be emphasized that the finding of illicit drugs and paraphernalia in a house or a building owned or occupied by a particular person raises the presumption of knowledge and possession thereof which, standing alone, is sufficient to convict.”
On July 30, 2017, on the strength of a search warrant, Parojinog was arrested in a raid in his home in Sta. Cruz village, Ozamiz City in Misamis Occidental for illegal possession of 116.9578 grams of shabu.
Also nabbed was Parojinog Jr.’s father, the son of slain mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr.; his mother and his sister, then Ozamiz vice mayor Nova Princess Parojinog; another family member and several others.
The older Parojinog was killed during the raid.