WHAT WENT BEFORE: Parojinogs in drug bust

In July 2017, Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo “Aldong” Parojinog Sr. and 11 others were killed by police serving arrest warrants on drug charges against the mayor.

Eleven others, including the mayor’s daughter, Vice Mayor Nova Echaves, 36, were arrested.

The slain mayor had earlier said Echaves and Herbert Colanggo were lovers.

Colanggo is a convict at New Bilibid Prison allegedly running a national drug distribution syndicate.

Parojinog was the third town mayor killed in a police operation under President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.

The Parojinogs had appeared before then Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa in July 2016 after they were linked to Colanggo.

The Parojinogs also handed over firearms for police custody after their licenses were revoked by the PNP.

The elder Parojinog denied the President’s allegation.

“I am not involved in illegal drugs. In fact, I am against it and I have been fighting it since I became mayor in 2001,” Parojinog said then.

The Parojinogs of Ozamiz are known to be the leaders of the Kuratong Baleleng crime syndicate, which grabbed national attention because of a string of brazen bank robberies, kidnappings and a sensational rubout case against ranking police officers until Reynaldo and his brother Renato ran for public office.