DELA ROSA DENIES INTENTIONAL KILLING

MANILA - A man who survived the Ozamiz City raids alleged on Monday that city mayor Reynaldo "Aldong" Parojinog, his wife, sister Mona, and board member Octavio Parojinog were intentionally killed by police.

A video clip showed a male survivor crawling out of the Parajinog residence and shouting to catch the attention of rescuers.

Cesar (not his real name) survived the ordeal after playing dead.

Nimfa (not her real name), a relative of the Parojinogs, said their family recorded Cesar’s testimony.

In the interview conducted by Nimfa, Cesar said they heard gunshots while inside the Parojinog residence around 2:20 am.

“Si Board Member Avio, gusto niya pumunta sa kabilang bahay doon sa bahay nila mayor, sabi niya, “'Wag muna, sir. Dito muna tayo kasi, may mga putok pa baka matamaan tayo”, sabi niya, “Sige dito muna, baka matamaan tayo. Sige dito na lang tayo, hintay ang mga pulis,” Nimfa said.

Cesar said when the police came, he and Octavio were brought to a compound just beside the house of the mayor.

“Pagdating ng mga pulis pinadapa kami pinababa kami papunta kina mayor. Pagdating nina mayor doon inipon kami. Ako nakadapa sa harap ni Mayor, nagulat ako maya-maya lumabas ang mga pulis hindi ko alam ano ang dahilan, maya-maya may naghagis ng granada, tinamaan ako,” Cesar said.

“Sabi kasi niya, nagtaka siya bakit lumayo ang mga pulis. Tapos, bigla na lang silang ginulungan ng granada. Pumutok, pero hindi iyon yung dahilan ng pagkamatay nila. 'Yung dalawa lang, sila Tita Moneng ko, 'saka yung isang tao,” Nimfa added.

Cesar said police later returned to check for survivors.

Ozamiz Mayor Reynaldo "Aldong" Parojinog's wife Susan lies lifeless on a stretcher.

'WAG NAMAN GANYAN, SIR'

“Bumalik ang mga pulis, tiningnan nila, binaril nila 'yung tita ko, 'yung asawa ni mayor, ewan ko kung binaril. Sabi ni mayor, “'Wag naman ganyan, sir,” Nimfa said.

Cesar said the police was about to shoot the mayor next but Octavio stepped in.

“Isusunod daw si mayor. Dahil nakaharang si board member, binaril dalawang beses 'yung pangatlo, si mayor. Nagplanting pa ng baril. Nakita ko dahil nakatago ako sa gilid,” Cesar claimed.

“Pagkakita ni board member na parang babarilin na si mayor, nilapitan niya parang niyakap na lang niya. 'Yun na nga binaril si board member, tapos namatay na, tapos binaril si mayor. Tapos hinagisan na sila ng granada, sa ibabaw yata hinagis kaya nasira ang bubong,” Nimfa added.

The body of Ozamiz Mayor Reynaldo "Aldong" Parojinog lies in a stretcher.

Cesar said police thought he was dead.

“Akala nila patay na ako. Ang dugo ni mayor ipinahid ko sa katawan at mukha ko para makita ng mga pulis. Akala nila patay na ako. Hindi rin masyadong makita dahil brownout, pinutol ang kuryente. Hindi ako nabaril. Pasado alas-3 na 'yun, naghintay ako na magliwanag. Pagdating ng SOCO, lumabas ako. Kung lalabas ako habang madilim pa baka plantingan ako barilin ako. Bandang alas-6, lumabas ako gumapang ako nagulat ang mga pulis na buhay pa ako sumigaw ako humingi ako ng tulong,” Cesar said.

The Parojinog family fears that Cesar would be taken out and asked media not to reveal his identity.

From Ozamiz, Vice Mayor Princess Nova Parojinog and her brother were brought to Manila in Camp Crame on Monday morning.

“We are hoping for our safety…tingnan nila ang lamay ni Papa…lahat hindi totoo,” Princess said.

BATO: IT WAS A FIREFIGHT

PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa, however, denied that the killing of the Parojinogs was premeditated.

“I know that they [were] meant to be operated upon, not to be liquidated. Depende na 'yun kung nanlaban sila, then magkakaroon ng encounter, wala na tayong control diyan pag ganun, pero pag sinabi mo na pinasok sila dun para patayin talaga, I cannot really say," he said.

"It is a firefight, there is distance, there is darkness, practically kahit ikaw di mo distinguish ang kalaban mo during that time. What you is that you are from that side, I am from this side. We will fire upon each other, I hope sana those are things na maiiwasan sa susunod wag na tayong maglaban na. Sumurender na lang. Tapusin na yung mga ginagawang mali, mag-heed sa request sa pakiusap ng ating President,” Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa said it was not right to cut the Parojinogs's CCTV system, if allegations are true.

“Wala ako dun hindi ko alam kung tanggal o hindi tanggal. Kung tinatanong mo ako kung tama ba 'yun, hindi tama. Kaya nga invite ka sa pagserve mo ng search warrant invite ka taga-media, invite ka barangy officials para transparent. 'Yung CCTV that forms part of transparency, bakit kailangang tanggalin,” he said.

The chief PNP said he preferred that the mayor was arrested alive.

“I want him alive, to answer the charges, pero kung lumaban siya then I want my men alive more than him pag siya lumaban. After the smoke cleared, it should be the good man standing and the bad man lying in the pavement.”

The incident should serve as warning to other targets heavily involved in the drug trade, he said.

“Marami pa, hintay-hintay lang kayo. Again to be fair with them, with these people, that should serve as a warning to everyone. Ang PNP, walang sinasanto pagdating sa enforcement ng batas, as far as law enforcement is concerned, we have no fear or favor, kung kailangan operate ka, operate ka talaga,” Dela Rosa said.

The PNP Internal Affairs Service (PNP-IAS) will conduct an investigation into the Ozamiz operation.

“The law assumes that when the policeman leaves for an operation. He’s doing his normal job and he will follow rules or procedure while doing it. We are in the initial part of the investigation. Mag case build-up tayo kung kailangan. But the again it behooves IAS to look at both sides, to really look at ground level where these things happened for it to be able to make a conclusion,” PNP-IAS Deputy Inspector-General Leo Angelo Leuterio said.