WAR AGAINST ILLEGAL DRUGS Raiding team 'should not have disabled' CCTVs
Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa yesterday said that it was wrong for police operatives to "paralyze" the security cameras at the compound of Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. during the raid early Sunday morning.
"That's why you invite other people during the serving of search warrants like people from the media and barangay officials for transparency. Security cameras form part of transparency, so why remove them?" he said in Tagalog during a press conference in Camp Crame.
"(But) I leave it to them on the ground how to do their job. That's their consideration," he added.
Likelihood of escape
During the raid, joint operatives from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the provincial and city police were met with heavy gunfire when they tried to enter the Parojinog compound to serve six search warrants against the mayor and some members of his family.
The operation resulted in the killing of the mayor, his wife and 13 others while at least eight others were arrested, including Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog-Echavez and Reynaldo Parojinog Jr.
The vice mayor had claimed that the security cameras in their house were cut by the raiding team to hide the latter's irregularities.
Insp. Jovie Espenido, Ozamiz City police chief, clarified that they disabled the security cameras in the compound to protect the identity of some of their agents and not for any other reason.
Meanwhile, Misamis Occidental Provincial Police Office Director Jeysen de Guzman said they had no plan to kill the mayor.
"We were just neutralizing a threat… As you can see we've made some arrests, even the vice mayor was caught alive," he said in Tagalog.
"If our intention was to kill, then there would have been more fatalities. Some members of the mayor's security team who surrendered are alive,” he added in Tagalog.
De Guzman denied that the evidence recovered from the Parojinog's residence were planted, noting that barangay officials and media members were pres- ent during the operation.
Dela Rosa, for his part, said he would have wanted the mayor alive so the latter could answer the allegations against him and his family.
"I want him alive, to answer the charges, pero kung lumaban siya ( but if he fought back) then I want my men alive more than him 'pag s'ya lumaban. After the smoke is cleared, it should be the good man standing and the bad man lying (on) the pavement," he said.
Likelihood of escape
Parojinog-Echavez and her brother Reynaldo Parojinog Jr. were transferred to the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.
The Parojinog siblings left the city under heavy guard by PNP-CIDG around 6:45 a.m. They arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 8:45 a.m.
The siblings, who were arrested Sunday for drug-related charges, were immediately brought to the PNP custodial cen- ter for booking procedure.
PNP-CIDG Director Roel Obusan said the two were transferred to Camp Crame since the Regional Trial Court (RTC) that issued the search warrants is based in Quezon City.
The Parojinogs' father, wife Susan and 13 others were killed after they allegedly engaged the authorities who were serving search warrants on July 30.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier claimed that the Parojinogs are involved in the illegal drugs trade.
Lawrence Carin, counsel of the Parojinog siblings, questioned the legal basis of the transfer to Camp Crame, noting that the alleged crime was committed in Ozamiz City and that the Quezon City RTC is yet to issue a commitment order against the arrested persons.
Carin also said he was worried about his clients' safety after he was barred by authorities from entering the PNP custodial center.