More narco-politicians to fall
The innocent should have nothing to fear – Dela Rosa
Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Monday vowed that more narcopoliticans and drug lords would fall in the continuing war on illegal drugs.
He aired the warning a day after Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. was killed with 14 others, including his wife by policemen serving a search warrant on the city executive’s home.
Dela Rosa said he could not just identify who would be next as it all depends on the case buildup being conducted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and other units under the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“There will be more, just wait,” said Dela Rosa in a press briefing at Camp Crame.
In the case of the Ozamiz City operation that led to the death of Parojinog, his wife Susan, his brother Misamis Occidental Board Member Octavio Parojinog Jr., and 12 others, Dela Rosa said it just so happened that the validation during the case build-up was done ahead of the rest.
The basis of the validation and the case build-up, Dela Rosa disclosed, is the long list of
drug lords and narco-politicians earlier released by President Duterte.
“This should serve as a warning to everyone that there is no sacred cow for the PNP in enforcing the law. As far as the law is concerned, we have no fear or favor. If you have to be operated by our personnel, then you will be operated,” said Dela Rosa.
Before the Parojinogs, the suspected drug lord in Iloilo, couple Melvin and Meriam Odicta, were killed while they were on their way back to their hometown after meeting Dela Rosa at Camp Crame last year.
Albuera, Leyte, Mayor Rolando Espinosa, on the other hand, was killed inside his detention cell at the Leyte Sub-provincial jail in Baybay City, Leyte.
Nothing to fear But the Chief PNP was quick to emphasize that those on the list should not be afraid, especially if they are indeed innocent as what they have been claiming.
“If they are really not doing wrong, then why would you be afraid. The case buildup can be built or unbuilt depending on the prevailing situation,” said Dela Rosa.
“If we validated that you are continuously involved in illegal drugs, then they have to prepare themselves,” he added.
In the case of the Parojinogs, CIDG chief Director Roel Obusan disclosed that the validation they conducted disclosed that Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog is still into illegal drug trade.
“We conducted validation and it turned out that for quite a time, she went on with illegal drug trade. In fact, we were able to seize shabu,” said Obusan.
Nova Princess used to be the girlfriend of Herbert Colangco, a controversial inmate of the New Bilibid Prison tagged as among the top drug lords in the country despite his detention.
“Before we operated, she just came from somewhere. We could not just reveal it because it is part of the investigative complaints,” said Obusan.
Nova arrived at Camp Crame Monday morning and directly moved to the Custodial Center.
Don’t fight As far as he is concerned, Dela Rosa said he wanted the Parojinogs alive in order for them to face justice.
But Dela Rosa said the Parojinogs allegedly tried to fight back and he and his men had to suffer the consequences of their action of engaging the police in a gunfight.
“I wanted him alive but I want my men to be alive more than him. As the smoke cleared, the good men should be standing and the bad men should be lying on the pavement,” said Dela Rosa.
No liquidation plan Dela Rosa also denied that they have long planned to kill the Parojinogs as alleged by the lawyer who cited the repeated pronouncements of the local police chief.
“I know that he is meant to be operated upon, not to be liquidated,” said Dela Rosa, as he stressed that they expect the camp of the Parojinogs to come up with so many allegations.
Dela Rosa also shot down suspicions that the time when the search warrants were served was an indication of the plan to kill the Parojinogs. The search warrants were served at around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday.
“It was not stated in the warrant that it should be served during office hours. You are commanded to serve the search warrant any time of the day, any day of the week,” said Dela Rosa.
But Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, in an interview with ANC, said that in the police manual, arrest warrants are required to be served during day time.
“According to the police, the house was under surveillance for quite a long time already. And number two, according to the police, as a rule they were serving search warrants at night daw,” Escudero said in the ANC interview.
“That one I do not understand because again their own manual says as a general rule, it should be served during the daytime,” Escudero said.
“Why are search warrants served before dawn as in the cases of Mayor (Roland) Espinosa and now, Mayor Parojinog, result in the deaths of the persons being searched? Both are tagged as drug lords. Too much of a coincidence?” Drilon said in a text message.
“Generally, a search warrant should be served in the daytime. While it maybe also be served anytime in the night, the issuing judge must so expressly specify in the search warrant,” the Senate minority chief said citing, Section 9, Rule 126, of the Rules of Court.
But Escudero admits he is not yet ready to believe there could be abuses committed on the part of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Everything goes back to Ozamiz
The Parojinogs traced their rise to fame at the height of the anti-insurgency campaign in Northern Mindanao wherein the clan patriarch was tapped to fight the communist rebels through the Kuratong Baleleng.
But after the insurgency problem and after each leaders and members were hunted down, the surviving ones allegedly resorted to criminal activities.
Dela Rosa said at the height of the bank robberies and other high-profile crimes in Metro Manila and other areas in Luzon, the investigation would lead the policemen to Ozamiz City.
“Everything goes back to Ozamiz – from cases of bank robberies, Martilyo Gang, kidnap-for-ransom, and even rescue of Chinese drug lords,” said Dela Rosa.
While he initially said that there must be something fishy when raiding teams cut off the CCTV lines on the houses of Parojinogs, Dela Rosa said he understood the decision of his men on the ground knowing the capability of the Parojinogs for vengeance.
He narrated that when the clan patriarch and founder of the Kuratong Baleleng was killed, the Parojinogs avenged his death by killing all the policemen involved in the operation, one after another.
“The only surviving policeman, resigned in the police in disgust because he felt that the police could not protect him,” said Dela Rosa.
Payback time?
Meanwhile, opposition lawmaker Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano couldn't help but compliment the administration of President Duterte over the police's raids in Ozamiz City.
“The once (known notorious and) considered untouchables in Ozamiz were made to account for the countless crimes that they have committed in the past. Something that our authorities must have done long time ago,” Alejano said in a statement.
“The fruits of their crimes have allowed them to dominate local politics for a long time in Misamis Occidental. This is one I count as big fish in the war on drugs of this administration,” Alejano said.
“I was there in Ozamiz in 2013, I campaigned there. Halos takot lahat sa pamilya Parojinog (Almost everybody was afraid of the Parojinogs),” Alejano told reporters in a press conference Monday.
“Tama din naman na inabot sila ng batas, dapat managot sila sa kanilang ginawa (It's only right that the law caught up with them, they should pay for what they did in the past),” the solon said, adding that the Parojinogs have been “linked to kidnap for ransom.”
‘I do not judge him’
Ozamiz Archbishop Martin Jumoad expressed sadness over the death of Mayor Parojinog Sr.
“We are sad of the untimely death of Mayor Aldong Parojinog,” said Jumoad in an interview.
“May his soul and the souls of those who died with him rest in peace,” he added.
Jumoad, however, refused to judge the mayor who was linked to certain drug groups. “I do not judge him,” he said. The prelate also expressed hope the death of the mayor will pave the way for the city to become peaceful and progressive.
“May his death pave the way for Ozamiz City to become a peaceful city and progressive,” said Jumoad. (With reports from Hannah L. Torregoza, Ellson A. Quismorio, and Leslie Ann G. Aquino)