By Aaron B. Recuenco and Jeffrey Damicog
Two days after the death of former Ozamiz City Councilor Ricardo ‘Ardot’ Parojinog inside a police detention facility, his sister Melodia ‘Apyat’ Parojinog-Malingin also suffered the same fate due to heart disease, police said on Monday.
Like Ardot, Melodia is facing drug charges after they allegedly yielded eight kilos of shabu during a raid in their house in December, 2017. She and her husband Gaudencio have been under detention since then and are awaiting trial.
Gen. Camilo Pancratius Cascolan, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said Melodia was taken to a hospital in Ozamiz City due to her medical condition. She died on Sunday morning.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he will issue an order to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to also check the medical condition of Malinging. He had earlier asked the NBI to check the medical records of Ardot who was found dead inside his cell at the police detention center in Ozamiz City last Sept. 4.
“It's about the state of their health prior to their deaths,” said Guevarra.
Cascolan said Melodia died of cardiogenic shock secondary to intractable cardiac arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation to ventricular tachycardia, massive gastrointestinal bleeding, and uremic gastropathy.
The death of Melodia happened as the police are still investigating the death of Ardot who was found unconscious inside a police detention cell at around 6 a.m. on September 4. He was supposed to attend a hearing of his case that time.
Based on the initial findings, Ardot died of cardiopulmonary arrest secondary to cardiovascular disease. Despite the findings, investigation is still being conducted to determine if there was foul play behind his death.
“Accordingly the family of Ardot Parojinog did not request for an autopsy, knowing fully well the health condition of the deceased but our investigation is continuing. Any kind of findings, we will be able to evaluate,” said Cascolan.
Ardot was arrested in Taiwan and was eventually deported to the Philippines to face trial on the drug charges leveled against him.
He was a member of the influential political clan in Ozamiz City. His brother, then Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, and other relatives died in an anti-illegal drugs police operation in 2017.
The Parojinogs were linked to the proliferation of illegal drugs in Ozamiz City and other areas in Mindanao
Aside from the death of his kin, some of his relatives are also currently detained for drug charges, including Nova Parojinog who was tagged as having links with convicted drug lords in the National Bilibid Prisons.