Detained Senator Leila de Lima on Monday said the death of former Ozamis City councilor Ricardo “Ardot” Parojinog is “highly suspicious,” noting how authorities reported the cause of his death immediately even without a proper autopsy.
“Mr. Parojinog’s sudden death while momentarily there at the Ozamis City Police jail to await a hearing last Friday, Sept. 4, is highly suspicious. The reported cause of death—‘cardiopulmonary arrest secondary to cardiovascular disease and probably COVID-19’ –was immediately announced without a proper autopsy, and foul play was peremptorily ruled out,” De Lima said in a statement.
“In those unusual instances of death while in the custody of PNP, the cause of death should be conclusively established through an autopsy, considering precedents of summary execution of even those already under detention,” she pointed out.
Ardot Parojinog is the brother of Ozamis City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, Sr. who was killed with 15 other persons when police served arrest warrants at the clan’s residence in July 2017. It also led to the arrest of his niece Vice Mayor Nova Parojinog.
President Duterte had earlier tagged members of the Parojinog clan as narco-politicians and the source of illegal drugs in the Ozamis City. Duterte had put up a P5-million bounty for Parojinog’s capture and he was eventually deported from Taiwan in 2018.
Aside from illegal drugs, Parojinog is also facing charges of murder, illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and illegal possession of explosives.
However, De Lima noted that Parojinog, who is a fellow detainee at the Philippine National Police (PNP) custodial center, was supposed to attend a hearing last Friday, September 4 in Ozamis City.
But she said she finds it questionable why Parojinog had to be transported to Ozamis City to attend the court hearing when there’s sufficient basis for it to be held in another venue.
According to de Lima, she learned that the deceased’s niece, Nova Parojinog—who is also detained at the PNP custodial center—had repeatedly told him that his life would be in danger if he sets foot in Ozamis City.
De Lima said Ozamis City remains to be a volatile place as an offshoot of the July 2017 massacre of the Parojinog family by a raiding team led by then Ozamis City Chief of Police Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido.
“I have been wondering why the trial of Parojinog’s case had to be held in Ozamis City when there’s sufficient basis for a change of venue,” De Lima said.
“I’m also wondering why Mr. Parojinog had to be brought there personally for the hearing when there’s the available option for a virtual hearing via video-conferencing which is now the norm during this pandemic, as authorized by the Supreme Court itself,” she pointed out.
Likewise, she said she finds it questionable why Parojinog had to succumb to cardiac arrest despite the fact he was escorted by a small team of PNP officials and was placed inside the local police station’s jail upon arriving in Ozamis.
“They know or should have known that Ozamis City has become a hostile territory for the now beleaguered Parojinog clan whom the President threatened to ‘wipe out’,” she said.
“Truly, this is another suspicious death of a targeted drug personality within a jail or prison,” the former justice secretary stressed.