Ozamiz mayor denies suspected drug lord Colangco is his son-in-law

Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. denied on Sunday his alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

Parojinog issued the denial after Duterte mentioned his relations with Herbert Colangco alias Ampang, allegedly one of the three top drug lords in the country.

The mayor said that the public has assumed that he is involved in the illegal drug trade after his name was mentioned by Duterte during a press conference last Thursday.

The mayor denied that Colangco is his son-in-law. He said his daughter, Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog, could not be married with the suspected drug lord because her first marriage had just been recently annulled.

He admitted that Colangco is the vice-mayor's boyfriend, but cited that he disapproves of the relationship.

The mayor said that after Duterte's revelation about his relations with Colangco, he is now being linked with retired Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo Jr., one of the five police officials accused by the president of being involved in illegal drugs.

He added that pictures have also surfaced on social media linking local officials of Misamis Occidental including Parojinog's brother, Ozamiz City Councilor Richard Parojinog, Sinacaban Mayor Crisanto Mahilak, Clarin Mayor David Navarro and Lopez Jaena Mayor Michael Gutierrez, to illegal drugs.

The mayor suspects that the allegations circulating may be coming from his political opponents.

Parojinog said accusations that he is involved in illegal drugs are baseless. He cited that he himself led anti-illegal drugs operations when he was still president of the Association of Barangay Councils in the city, and that he continues to do so even after being elected mayor.

He also mentioned the surrender of more than 1,000 suspected drug users and pushers in Ozamiz City last July 1 through Oplan Tokhang. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/ALG, GMA News