Ardot Parojinog dies of cardiac arrest due to heart disease, says police

Ozamiz City Councilor Ricardo “Ardot” Parojinog captured in Taiwan. Photo from the Office of the Chief PNP

MANILA, Philippines — Police revealed that former Ozamiz City councilor Ardot Parojinog died of cardiac arrest due to a heart disease inside his detention cell in Ozamiz police station, police confirmed on Friday.

Northern Mindanao police director Brig. Gen. Rolando Anduyan told reporters in a text message that after medical officials’ investigation, Parojinog died of “cardiopulmonary arrest secondary to cardiovascular disease.”

Earlier, police said Parojinog was found lifeless inside the prison cell at 6 a.m. on Friday. He was transferred to Ozamiz police from PNP Custodial Center in Quezon City on Thursday morning to attend a court hearing for his drug-related charges.

Anduyan said police probers decided to ask medical experts to determine Parojinog’s cause of death to conduct procedures that would comply with COVID-19 protocols.

“Actually, we don’t jump sa conclusion agad. We just follow kung ano directive satin ng health officers sa PNP kasi we follow on who is the authority we follow kung sino yung expert sa matters pagdating doon so yung investigation namin will depend primarily sa kanila talaga. Whatever findings na ilalabas nila, so be it,” he said when asked if police will also determine that COVID-19 affected Parojinog’s death.

(Actually, we don’t jump into conclusions. We just follow the directive of health officers in PNP because we follow who is the authority, experts on the matter so our probe will depend primarily on them. Whatever their findings, so be it.)

Parojinog was captured in Taiwan in 2018. He has been wanted due to his supposed involvement in the illegal drug trade. He was deported back to the country after two months.

The Parojinogs were linked in the illegal drug activities in Northern Mindanao by President Rodrigo Duterte. [ac]