Policewoman’s sister defends husband in murder probe

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February 9, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — A relative of slain Senior M/Sgt. Diane Marie Mollenido has defended the policewoman’s estranged husband, saying he should not be blamed for the immediate cremation of the victim’s remains.

In a statement posted on Facebook, Daisie Gabres, who identified herself as Mollenido’s sister and aunt of eight-year-old victim John Ysmael, said the family wanted the real perpetrators held accountable for the crime, instead of the policewoman’s husband Senior M/Sgt. John Mollenido.

Gabres said the decision to proceed with the cremation of the victims was based on advice that the remains were already in an advanced stage of decomposition and could no longer be viewed.

She added that the choice to include the victims’ clothes in the cremation was made by the family, unaware that items from the crime scene had also been included.

Gabres said police had instructed the funeral home not to move or cremate items related to the investigation, but she was not in the proper state of mind at the time decisions were made.

Gabres appealed to the public not to judge Mollenido’s husband solely for his demeanor, saying he was deeply hurt by the incident and that the couple’s two other children, aged 15 and four, need his support.

Authorities have been investigating the deaths of Mollenido and her son, whose bodies were discovered in Bulacan and Tarlac in January.

Several suspects, including a dismissed policeman and his wife, are facing complaints for robbery with homicide and theft before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has said the policeman remains a person of interest and faces a complaint for obstruction of justice over the quick cremation of the victims’ remains.