CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 30 July) — Ozamiz Mayor Reynaldo Parohinog, his wife and brother along nine others were killed in simultaneous raids of their houses in the early hours of Sunday.
Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog, the couple’s daughter, was also arrested and brought to the Ozamiz City police station.
Police said they found several kilos of shabu and guns from the six houses of the Parojinogs that were subject of the search.
Supt. Lemuel Gonda, spokesperson of the PNP 10 regional command said the police raiding party was met by gunfire when they conducted the search at around 2:30 a.m. Sunday.
“There was gunfire coming from the security of Parojinogs forcing the policemen to retaliate,” Gonda said.
Police 10 regional director Superintendent Timoteo Pacleb said it took the police two hours before they could breach the house of the mayor.
Gonda said in the ensuing firefight, the mayor, his wife Susan, and brother, Misamis Occidental Board member, Octavio Parojinog were killed.
He said a certain “Lydia” and a “JR”, astaff of Lumad TV, a local media outfit financed by the Parojinogs, were also killed.
Gonda said four members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) who were guarding the house of Vice Mayor Parojinog allegedly resisted the police raiders and were also killed.
Gonda could not give any details on the three other slain victims.
He said a search at the house of another brother of the mayor, Councilor Ricardo “Ardot” Parojinog yielded several firearms and shabu.
“Ardot” Parojinog who was not in his house when the police came, is now subject of a manhunt.
President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier accused the Parojinogs as one of the big drug personalities in Northern Mindanao.
Mayor Parojinog and Vice Mayor Parojinog were among those on the list of 163 alleged drug personalities that Duterte read in Davao City on August 7 last year. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)