PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday offered a P2-million reward for each of the policemen, “dead or alive” who were involved in the killings allegedly ordered by the Parojinog clan that held key political posts in Ozamiz City.
Duterte offered the bounty after police excavated a mass grave used by a gang linked to the Parojinog clan.
“Like the policemen who are now shortlisted in the killing of so many civilians buried in a cemetery there at the back of a barangay hall, each of the policemen [now carries a bounty of] P2 million,” Duterte said during the 116th police service anniversary at Camp Crame.
At the same time, Duterte vowed to protect cops who were involved in the killing of the Parojinog clan and Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, who was gunned down in his jail cell.
“They will have my protection. Not to obstruct justice, I will allow justice to run. But there is a time, when a President will have part of it and that’s where I can assure you, you will have the justice that we all want. Remember that,” he said.
The mass grave, allegedly used by members of the “Martilyo gang” linked to the Parojinogs—contained bones, clothing, and other personal items.
Duterte told policemen not to commit crimes, especially extrajudicial killings.
He said the mayor of Ozamiz deserved his fate, as he had already warned mayors repeatedly not to get involved in the illegal drug trade.
“There’s really no remorse for you and for me. Fair warning. I told you, do not—… I told them, do not destroy my city because I will kill you,” he said.
He said he would go unannounced to Ozamiz City to warn policemen linked to the Parojinogs.
“I will be visiting Ozamiz, I will not tell you when, but I will warn the policemen there….who were responsible for the death of six soldiers before, you will have your comeuppance,” he said.
Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Jr., who was among the names Duterte read when he first released his list of narco-politicians in August 2016, was killed in a recent drug operation at his home, along with his wife, brother, and 13 others.
In an interview on radio dzMM, Ozamiz police chief Isp. Jovie Espenido said Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog and her relative, Ardot, were behind most of the killings tied to their family.
“Ardot was the executioner and the vice mayor, who was worse than her father,” Espenido said in Filipino.
“Because there were so many killed, the bodies were dumped anywhere, sometimes at sea,” he added.
The Justice Department on Wednesday said it would ask the Supreme Court to transfer the cases against the Parojinogs from Ozamiz City to “neutral areas.”
Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera, head of the DOJ panel handling the cases, said Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II could seek the transfer of cases before the Supreme Court, just like of what he did in the criminal cases filed against arrested Maute terrorists and supporters.
“It will be up to the [DOJ] management to seek the transfer of cases if there are no takers among the Ozamiz RTC judges,” Navera said.
The prosecutor made the statement after Judges Edmundo Pintac of the Ozamiz RTC Branch 15 and Salome Dungog of the Ozamiz RTC Branch 35 both said they would recuse themselves.
“It should be heard and tried in a neutral place; not here in Ozamiz,” Pintac said, in a television interview.
In Davao City, police shot and killed Jake Bolanio dela Cruz, brother-in-law of the drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, saying that he fired on them while they were serving a warrant of arrest. With F. Pearl A. Gajunera and Rey E. Requejo