Ozamiz City's 2nd councilor named 'caretaker mayor'

The second ranking councilor of Ozamiz City has been named as acting mayor following the killing of the city's chief executive Reynaldo Parojinog Jr. and arrest of Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog-Echavez.

"Si Councilor Irene Luansing (ang) OIC mayor," Interior Secretary Catalino Cuy said in a text message to GMA News Online.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government on Monday said the Local Government Code would be followed in the succession of officials in Ozamiz City.

It said the highest ranking councilor should be appointed as acting mayor if both the mayor and vice mayor are rendered unable to serve.

The second councilor, meanwhile, is supposed to succeed the vice mayor's seat.

Officials have yet to announce if the city's third councilor, Michael Tagal, will be appointed as acting vice mayor.

The mayor was killed along with his wife and brother and 12 others during the predawn police raids in Ozamiz City on Sunday.

Cuy said the vice mayor could not serve as acting mayor because she had been arrested and is under police detention.

The vice mayor was arrested after police found drugs in her house during the simultaneous raids.

Her camp claimed that the pieces of evidence supposedly found by policemen in her home were planted.

The city's first councilor, Ricardo Parojinog, was at-large after police also found drugs and firearms from his house. —Amita Legaaspi/ALG/KVD, GMA News