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Parojinog lawyer questions raid, says cops won’t show warrant


 

A counsel for the Parojinog siblings has questioned the legitimacy of the police's predawn operation that left 15 people dead, including the siblings' parents, Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. and wife Susan, on Sunday.

In an interview on QRT, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio said as of Monday afternoon, he has yet to see a copy of the search warrant that the police were supposed to serve on the Parojinogs on the wee hours of Sunday.

"Kanina nung nasa [Camp] Crame kami, humihingi kami ng kopya nung warrant, walang maibigay sa amin na warrant para makita sana namin kung tama po o hindi 'yung pag-serve ng warrant," Topacio said.

"Sapagkat 'yun pong warrant kapag sini-serve po ng gabi 'yan [dapat] may kondisyones," he added.

Topacio said as a "general rule," a search warrant should be served "during reasonable hours."

"Puwede rin po sa gabi pero dapat nakasaad sa warrant [na] 'yung bagay na kukumpiskahin ay nasa motor vehicle o katawan ng isang tao na gabi lamang matatagpuan sa lugar na hahalughugin," he said.

The search warrant was supposed to be for the illegal firearms that were said to be in the possession of the Parojinog family, some members of which, including the mayor, have been linked to illegal drug operations by President Rodrigo Duterte.

"Mayroon tayong rules sa pag-serve ng warrant at iyon po ang dapat sundin ng ating kapulisan," Topacio said.

Describing it as a "routine service of a search warrant that turned into a massacre," Topacio said they would go to the bottom of the issue to determine what really transpired.

"Gusto namin malaman ang katotohanan dito," he said, adding they have a lot of questions about the incident.

"Bakit sinira yung CCTV?" he said. "Bakit brownout bigla?"

The Parojinog siblings — Ozamiz City Vice Mayor Nova Parojinog-Echaves and Reynaldo Jr. — were brought to Camp Crame on Monday. Police said this was because the search warrant used in the raid was issued by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. —KBK, GMA News

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