Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial unit chief Lieutenant Colonel Jigger Noceda was sacked and slapped with a criminal complaint for allegedly sexually assaulting former Ozamiz City vice mayor Nova Parojinog in at least two occasions, Rappler learned.

On Wednesday, October 7, the PNP Women and Children Protection Center filed a criminal complaint against Noceda at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office, accusing him of rape, acts of lasciviousness, unjust vexation, and a violation of the Safe Spaces Act.

Noceda was chief of the PNP Custodial Service Unit supervising the Camp Crame custodial center, the high-profile detention center inside Camp Crame, Quezon City.

On September 30, he was sacked from his post and assigned to a holding unit in the PNP.

Rappler sought Noceda’s comment through a text message and a phone call on Thursday evening, October 8. He has yet to reply as of posting. According to sources privy to the case, Noceda has also not filed a counter-affidavit against Parojinog at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.

Nova Parojinog has been detained in the PNP custodial center since July 31, 2017, after surviving the bloody anti-drug police raid that killed her father, Ozamiz City mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, and 14 others.

The following account is based on Parojinog’s testimony as filed with the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.

Affidavits from at least 6 cops who guarded her attested to her being called by Noceda into his office twice, but they could not corroborate the sexual assault allegations. They claimed they were usually sent out of Noceda’s office once Parojinog arrived.

First incident

On June 9, Parojinog said Noceda called her to his office after she asked one of the guards to send him a letter. In this letter, Parojinog asked Noceda when visits would be allowed after the government loosened coronavirus restrictions in Metro Manila to a general community quarantine.

In his office, Noceda reportedly told Parojinog that visits were already allowed that day. Afterwards, one policeman informed Parojinog that her daughter, Sophia, was visiting that moment.

According to Parojinog, she was about to leave to see her daughter when Noceda stopped her and said, “Mag-selfie muna tayo (Let’s take a selfie first).”

“He suddenly pulled my arm. After that, he quickly pushed me to a part of the wall where we weren’t seen by anyone and he suddenly kissed me,” Parojinog said in her testimony.

She said she walked out of the office in shock to see her daughter. She told her daughter what had happened to her and told her to call their lawyers.

Second incident

On September 7, Parojinog said she requested to speak with Noceda through the police guards. She wanted to ask if there were any court orders she needed to know.

She was able to speak with him without any incident until she was about to leave again.

After speaking, they both stood, and Noceda allegedly sexually assaulted Parojinog once more.

Parojinog said Noceda grabbed her, pushed her to the wall, and touched her private parts.

Parojinog said he told her nobody would listen to her even if she screamed, bragged he will not be fired even if she filed a complaint, and then asked her if she could still bear a child. She then pulled herself away from him by saying that someone had spotted them through his windows.

“While on my way out, I saw him laughing and he said that I would dream of him that night,” she said in her complaint.

Perpetrator’s last stand

After each incident, Parojinog wrote to the PNP chief and other officials to report the assault.

On the second assault, the PNP sent detectives to launch a criminal investigation into Parojinog’s allegations.

On September 26, Noceda spoke with Parojinog, asking her to retract her allegations.

She recalled him telling her: “I shouldn’t have done that to you. I am pleading that you deny your letters and I would never show myself to you again. I will just have myself relieved. Sorry, I shouldn’t have taken advantage of your situation.”

Parojinog’s case is the first in recent memory of a reported sexual assault case inside the high-profile detention facility.

Women on their own are already more vulnerable than men to sexual assaults. Under detention that is supervised mostly by men, this risk of being sexually assaulted is compounded.

Parojinog continues to be detained at the PNP custodial center, waiting for judgment on her drug cases. – Rappler.com