Three people face formal murder charges after the deaths of Police Senior Master Sergeant Diane Marie Mollenido and her eight-year-old son John Ysmael, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) reported.
Authorities identified the accused as car dealer Pia Katrina, her husband Christian, and an accomplice named Gil. Prosecutors said there was enough evidence to charge them with two counts of murder.
The QCPD described the investigation as thorough and extensive. Officials said the suspects were recommended for no-bail because of the strength of the evidence.
Maribel, initially linked to the case and Christian’s sister, was cleared of all charges and reclassified as a witness.
Diane’s former husband, Police Senior Master Sergeant John Mollenido, who had been considered a person of interest, was removed from the list of respondents after the court granted a motion to drop his name.
QCPD chief Police Brigadier General Randy Glenn Silvio said authorities were committed to ensuring justice. He noted that the loss of Diane and her young son was irreplaceable, but that those responsible would be held accountable.
The killings followed a failed car sale in Quezon City on January 16. Diane’s body was found on January 24 along Pulilan Bypass Road in Barangay Dulong Malabon, Pulilan, Bulacan, with a gunshot wound to the head.
Five days later, John Ysmael was discovered at a calamansi farm along a farm-to-market road in Barangay Maluid, Victoria, Tarlac. Police said both deaths were linked to the same transaction.
