MANILA, Philippines – Ozamiz City Police Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido will have the compound where the mansion of Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. used to stand dug up to find out if there are bodies buried in the area.
“’Yon nga hinahanap natin ngayon, kung saan inilibing ba [That’s what we are looking for now, where the bodies were buried],” Espenido said Wednesday.
The compound in Brgy. Bagacay was allegedly used as dumping ground for the remains of the competitors of the Parojinog family in the narcotics business.
The Parojinogs had the mansion demolished when President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office last year. It was where the Parojinogs allegedly met each time they would carry out kidnappings and highway robberies.
The family then returned to their smaller residences allegedly to fend off accusations that they were involved in illegal activities, including narcotics trade.
“As if hindi sila mayaman, bumalik na sa kanilang bahay na maliit…Siguro alam naman ng lahat na involved sila sa drugs,” said Espenido.
Three days after Mayor Parojinog, his wife, two siblings, and 11 others died in a predawn raid, the Ozamiz police on Wednesday went to inspect the compound, the first time that authorities were able to enter the place that used to be allegedly guarded by a private army.
Earlier, a man identified in a news report as alias “Noel” claimed that he had worked for 20 years as a drug courier and hitman of the Parojinogs.
He said he was assigned to pick up several kilos of shabu from the National Bilibid Prison and deliver the illegal drug to Ozamiz.
Noel alleged that the Parojinogs, including the mayor and his daughter, Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog, divided the illegal drugs among themselves and traded the narcotics.
Noel alleged that the family was also engaged in holdup operations.
He further claimed that the Parojinogs had ordered him to kill their enemies and even their own workers who failed to follow their orders.
Noel said he had chopped some of the remains of the family’s foes.
Meanwhile, 40 Ozamiz barangay captains, who were all allegedly allies of the late mayor, surrendered their weapons to Espenido after the latter gave them an ultimatum last Sunday.
They gave up more than 200 weapons, mostly short and long firearms, and ammunition.
Espenido said it was the late mayor who owned the weapons that he gave to the barangay leaders for them to hide so that authorities won’t see firearms in the residences of the Parojinogs in case they conduct a raid.
