By Fernan Angeles
MYSTERY shrouds the death of former Ozamiz City councilor Ricardo “Ardot” Parojinog who was found dead inside his detention cell on Friday morning, hours before he was supposed to attend a court hearing in connection with a string of charges, including murder, filed against him.
Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac, Parojinog’s detention cell was at the Ozamiz City Police Station.
Banac said there is no indication of violence on Parojinog’s body, but PNP chief Police General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan does not seemed convinced and directed an investigation on Parojinog’s death.
Cascolan likewise ordered the Ozamiz City Police chief and all the night shift police personnel of the station under restrictive custody pending investigation on the incident.
Aside from the Ozamiz cops, Cascolan also directed the PNP Custodial Center security team under Police Lieutenant Colonel Jiger Noceda to be placed under probe and determine their liabilities.
The Crime Laboratory SOCO and Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit in Misamis Occidental are already probing the incident.
Parojinog is the brother of the late city mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., whom President Rodrigo Duterte had accused of involvement in the illegal drug trade. The mayor was killed during a bloody police raid in July 2017.
Aside from Reynaldo Parojinog, also killed in the raid were his wife and 13 others. Their children, Nova Princess and Reynaldo Jr., were arrested.
Ardot Parojinog was deported to the Philippines in July 2018, two months after his arrest in Taiwan where he fled following the police raid on the clan’s compound.
Duterte, who has accused the Parojinog family of involvement in the illegal drug trade, has offered a P5-million bounty for Ardot’s arrest, describing him as “gago.”
Parojinog was supposed to attend a hearing on Friday, noting that his travel was covered by a court order. He was facing charges for murder, illegal possession of firearms and illegal possession of explosives.