PNP sends more cops to Ozamiz amid reprisal threats

Ozamiz City Police Chief Inspector Jovie Espindo stay relax inside his office during the interview with Journalists Monday July 31 in the afternoon 12 hours after the raid .Espenido vow to give justice to the families who are victims of killings, robbery, extortion and drug trafficking in the city.
(Photo by : Richel V. Umel, Inquirer Mindanao)

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald dela Rosa has ordered the deployment of more policemen to Ozamiz City in the face of threats of retaliation from members of the Parojinog group.

Nearly 300 firearms were surrendered purportedly by Parojinog supporters to the Ozamiz City police.

Speaking to reporters at a chance interview during Wednesday’s celebration of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) anniversary in Camp Aguinaldo, Dela Rosa said that the PNP received information that two boat loads of Parojinog gang members have returned to Ozamiz City to retaliate for Sunday’s raid which killed one of the group’s identified leaders Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog.

“We cannot discount the possibilities because it is really a big group we went against. It’s not just an ordinary group, they (leaders) are established political personalities,” Dela Rosa pointed out in Filipino.

The PNP chief said that he has ordered the deployment of an augmentation force for the Ozamiz City police station “to maintain peace and order in Ozamiz City.”

Dela Rosa said he has ordered the conduct of checkpoints to prevent the entry of armed groups into the city.

“We are also wary of copycats who may make it appear that any attack they may make is retaliatory…It would be better if we are prepared for anything,” he pointed out.

Meanwhile the PNP chief said that Ozamiz City police head Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido received 243 short firearms and 48 high-powered guns surrendered by private persons and barangay officials.

Dela Rosa said that the firearms are presumably from allies of the Parojinog group who may have given up the guns to avoid being the subjects of police operations.

He pointed out that while Ozamiz City board member Ricardo Parojinog is among the subjects named in the search warrant served on Sunday, he is not yet the subject of a hunt.

“If he is the subject of an arrest warrant, there will be a manhunt against him. But if not, then there will not be a hunt,” Dela Rosa said.

On Monday the PNP chief challenged the Parojinog, who remains unaccounted for, to surface maintaining that his flight could mean “he is the most guilty.”

Dela Rosa, speaking to reporters, challenged the Ozamiz City board member to surface to “prove his manhood and show he is innocent,” even as he pointed out that anyone from Ozamiz City can attest to who and what the Parojinogs are.

He said that the remaining Paroijnog in the search warrant must be accounted for to prevent any regrouping of the gang that is suspected of involvement in illegal activities, including drug trafficking, gunrunning, bank robbery, kidnapping, and gun-for-hire.

RELATED VIDEO