Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and Vice Mayor Nova Parojinog (Photo grabbed from Ozamiz City’s Facebook page)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – An early morning raid in Ozamiz City on Sunday, July 30 ended up with the killing of 12 and the arrest of a number of suspects, the Philippine National Police in Region 10 reported.
PNP regional office 10 said that elements of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group together with the local police personnel of Misamis Occidental and Ozamiz City served six search warrants against Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, Vice Mayor Nova Parojinog and Board Member Octavio Parojinog at around 2:30 AM on Sunday.
Police Supt. Lemuel Gonda, spokesperson of PNP Region 10 told PTV-4 in an interview that security men of Mayor Parojinog fired at the raiding team.
“Nanlaban po yong mga security ni mayor prompting our police personnel to return fire,” Gonda said, adding that the raid was legitimate.
Initial information provided to the media on Sunday morning by Chief Supt. Timoteo Pacleb, regional director of PNP 10 said the PNP personnel serving the search warrants were met with a volley of gunfire from the security that prompted the raiding team to retaliate.
Gonda said the body count of those killed as of 12 noon on Sunday was 12, including Mayor Parojinog, his wife Susan and Board Member Parojinog.
Vice Mayor Parojinog was arrested by the raiding team and is now under the custody of the police in Ozamiz City.
Gonda said the police are still determining the identities of the other persons killed especially the security personnel of Mayor Parojinog who first fired at the raiding team.
Other reports also indicated that two staff of a local station that is being run by Parojinog was also killed during the raid.
The team also raided the house of Ozamiz Councilor Ricardo “Ardot” Parojinog, the brother of Mayor Parojinog, the PNP-10 reported.
The councilor was not around during the raid but police said they were able to arrest five persons and confiscated suspected shabu and firearms.
The identities of the five persons arrested are not yet available as of press time.
Goda said they are still processing all the items confiscated during the implementation of the six search warrants.
Malacañang on Sunday issued a statement saying that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to intensify the drug campaign.
“The Philippine National Police (PNP) conducted a raid on the Parojinog residence this morning which led to the arrest of Ozamiz Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog-Echavez and scores of others,” the statement said.
It added that the Parojinogs are included in President Duterte’s list of personalities involved in the illegal drug trade. (davaotoday.com)
