MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – Edmundo Pintac, the judge handling drugs and firearms cases against Nova Princess and Reynaldo Parojinog Jr, was shot dead by motorcyle-riding suspects on Monday, October 8. 

According to an initial police report, Pintac was in Barangay Banadero in Ozamiz City at around 4:20 pm when he was fired at by still unidentified suspects.

“Suspects fled away to unknown direction,” read the police report.

Pintac last year denied the petition of the arrested Parojinog siblings to attend the wake of their  parents and relatives who were killed in a bloody police raid.

Pintac was executive judge of the Ozamiz City Regional Trial Court Branch 15 where the case was being heard.

News reports quoted Superintendent Surki Sereñas, spokesperson of the Northern Mindanao Police Regional Office as saying Pintac was gunned down in Purok 2-B, Barangay Banadero in Ozamiz while he was heading home. 

Meanwhile, Chief Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro issued Monday evening a statement calling on the police to apprehend killers of Pintac as soon as possible.

De Castro said: “The Court is deeply saddened with the news that the executive judge of the Regional Trial Court of Ozamiz City, Hon. Edmundo P. Pintac, was shot to death on his way home today.”

“I’m calling on the Philippine National Police to exert all means and efforts to apprehend the perpetrators at the soonest possible time. I have also instructed the court administrator to coordinate with all law enforcement officers to bring to justice those responsible for this crime,” she said.– Rappler.com