Alagar won’t name police’s ‘witnesses’

By NITZ ARANCON,
Correspondent

CAMP Alagar yesterday declined to name any of the media practitioners and the barangay officials whom it claimed witnessed how the Parojinogs and their supporters were killed in Sunday’s pre-dawn raid in Ozamiz City.

Neither did the police office in northern Mindanao identify the police officer who was supposedly wounded in the alleged exchange of firepower between raiding police officers and the group of the Parojinogs.

Supt. Lemuel Gonda, Camp Alagar spokesman, said the witnesses would be made known if a case is filed in the court.

Gonda said this even as ABS-CBN reported that there is a survivor who alleged that the Parojinogs were killed in a rubout.

ABS-CBN also quoted a relative of the Parojinogs who claimed that they now have a recording of the survivor’s testimony that those who were killed were defenseless when police officers fired shots and exploded a grenade at them.

The TV station showed a video clip of a man crawling out of the house of the Parojinogs and calling out for help as onlookers watched hours after the alleged rubout.

The report quoted the survivor as saying that they were already on the floor when police officers allegedly shot the Parojinogs and their aides before finishing them off with a grenade.

ABS-CBN, quoting a Parojinog relative who heard the survivor’s account, reported that Ozamiz Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. earlier told the police, “Wag naman ganyan, sir.”

But Gonda maintained that the simultaneous raids carried out by the police in Ozamiz were legitimate even as he strongly denied that the operation was a rubout.

Gonda said a police officer was wounded, proof that the Parojinog group put up a fight that prompted the police to respond with force. But he declined to identify the wounded officer, too.

Witnesses, he said, can testify that the police followed the rules of engagement. But he declined to identify any of the supposed witnesses.

“Didto na kana nato maila sa korte ang witness during sa trial kay ipatawag man gyud na sa court,” said Gonda.

The police operation resulted in the killing of Mayor Parojinog, his wife Susan, brother Octavio Jr. and sister Mona Parojinog;

Edwin Teves  Rusiana, Carlioto Ayaay, L. Millanar, Eldred Requiron, Nestor Cabalan, Miguel dela  Victoria, Daniel Vasques, Jennirey Gumapon Manon, Ryan Reguera, a Lando and a certain Iting.

Gonda said members of the crime laboratories of Misamis Occidental and in Region 10 have started conducting autopsies.

Gonda said those who felt aggrieved could file cases against Ozamiz police director Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido and other law enforcers who carried out the raids.

He said the accusations against the police were speculations.

“Due process man ta. Kon paninawon nato tanan, kon moto-o ta ana tanan nga mga speculation labi na  ang na-a sa social media, ay  gubot na kaayo ang atong nasud. Due process gihapon,” he said. “Daghan man nang-gawas nga ingon ana. Speculation man na nila. So sa korte nalang na  husayon. Court battle nalang na kon dunay ilang pagto-o nga mga irregularities.”

National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa said he saw no reason to suspend the police officers behind the Ozamiz raids until the results of the investigation of the police’s Internal Affairs Service (IAS).

But dela Rosa maintained that the operation was a legitimate one.

An IAS probe is now ongoing to determine whether police officers in the raid committed any violation in the procedure in serving the arrest warrants.

But dela Rosa said that if found liable for violating procedures, the officers involved would face sanctions.

He said the Parojinogs and their group were not targeted for liquidation, adding that he wanted the mayor caught alive. But he said the Parojinog group used force, forcing the law enforcers to fire back. (with reports from pna)