Parojinogs expecting to be 'liquidated' —Ozamiz legal officer

Police in full battle gear allegedly harassed the residence of Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog months before the bloody police raid early Sunday, a local government legal officer said.

"A few months back, merong nangyaring incident doon sa bahay ni mayor na allegedly may mga naka-full battle gear na police na pumunta doon," Atty. Jeffrey Ocang, legal officer of the Ozamiz city government, said in a radio dzBB interview. "Matagal na nilang ini-expect na mali-liquidate sila."

The mayor, his wife Susan and brother Provincial Board Member Octavio Parojinog and nine others were killed by policemen in a predawn raid.

Police alleged that they were serving search warrants for loose firearms on the residences of the Parojinogs when they were met by heavy gunfire.

Ocang said that based on initial information they received, all three Parojinogs were shot in the head.

Ocang said they are suspecting that the killing of the mayor and the others had been planned. He added that Ozamiz City police director, Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, had been hinting threats against the Parojinogs, particularly Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog-Echavez.

"Paulit-ulit niyang sinasabi na malapit na silang mag-engkuwentro ng kanyang 'sweetheart,' which is referring to the Vice Mayor," Ocang said.

They also suspect that the killing of the mayor was somehow similar to the killing of Albuera, Leyte mayor Rolando Espinosa inside his detention cell last November.

Espenido was the chief of the Albuera police when Espinosa was killed. However, he was not involved in the operation that led to the death of Espinosa. Several policemen, including former Criminal Investigation and Detection Group Region 8 chief Superintendent Marvin Marcos, are facing homicide charges due to the Albuera mayor's killing.

Ocang said that it was impossible for the mayor and his wife to engage policemen in a gunfight. He added that the Parojinogs had surrendered their firearms in August last year.

Blackout, disconnected CCTV cameras

During the interview, Ocang cast doubt on some incidents that happened before the killing of the Parojinogs.

He said that at the time of the police operation, around 2 a.m., the city's power supply was suddenly cut off.

The lawyer also alleged that the security cameras installed at the residences of the Parojinogs were disconnected prior to the supposed encounter.

He said that according to the Parojinogs, the first shot came from the policemen.

Ocang said they are asking President Rodrigo Duterte to order an investigation into the bloody police raid.

"So sana po matignan ng ating mahal na pangulo kasi mukha namang part po 'to ng Espinosa case, hindi namin alam kung anong nangyayari at biglang napatay pati asawa," he said.

He also said that Vice Mayor Parojinog-Echavez is asking Duterte and Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II to place her under the National Bureau of Investigation's custody.

"Hinihiling niya po sa ating mahal na Pangulo, sa ating Justice Secretary [Vitaliano Aguirre II] at mga members ng NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), kung pwede po i-pull out siya dito kahit detained siya 'dun sa NBI nalang, kasi po nanganganib po yung buhay niya, ng anak niya at buong pamilya," Ocang said.

"Mukha raw po nito na lahat ng Parojinog na nakaupo ay gusto nilang tanggalin ng posisyon," he added.

He said the vice mayor believes that the firearms and drugs supposedly seized by policemen from her house during the raid were planted.

Ocang said they have yet to obtain full details of the operation.

He said they have to wait for three days before they can inquire on the validity of the arrest of the vice mayor because of the existing martial law in the southern region.

"As you know martial law dito, so we cannot inquire on the validity of the arrest until three days after," he said. —Margaret Claire Layug/ALG, GMA News