Police determining if Ardot Parojinog had prior illness

Police Regional Office X chief Police Brigadier General Rolando Anduyan on Friday said former Ozamiz City councilor Ricardo "Ardot" Parojinog was in low spirits when he arrived at the Ozamiz City Police Station on Thursday.

Anduyan told Dobol B sa News TV that part of the probe on Parojinog's death was to determine if he had prior illness.

"Hanggang ngayon iniimbestigahan natin. Baka mamaya anong sakit 'yung mayroon siya hindi natin alam kasi nanggaling siya diyan sa Manila," Anduyan said.

"Kasama sa imbestigasyon natin 'yan. 'Yun din ang tinatanong ko sa mga tao natin, inaalagaan din natin 'yan kasi medyo kilalang tao 'yan. Hindi natin alam kung nalulungkot siya siyempre sa kaso na inaabot niya, medyo matamlay noong dumating..." he aded.

Earlier, the Philippine National Police said Parojinog was found dead this morning inside the detention cell of the said police station. He was about to attend a hearing today, PNP spokesman Police Brigadier General Bernard Banac said.

Banac said Parojinog had been detained at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame. He arrived in Ozamiz City on Thursday morning.

Anduyan said a jail guard was trying to wake him up but he was unresponsive. Authorities immediately called a medical team to attend to Parojinog.

"Actually iniimbestigahan pa natin 'yan. Alam niyo naman 'yung panahon ngayon, medyo ano tayo, iba ang panahon ngayon... noong kaninang umaga, ginigising siya noong kaniyang ano, bantay ng selda, eh noong hindi siya magising, hindi siya responsive, tumawag na tayo ng medical teams para magresponde sa kaniya," Anduyan said.

Banac has said there is no indication of violence on Parojinog's body.

PNP chief Police General Camilo Pancratius Cascolan already directed an investigation on Parojinog's death. He ordered Anduyan to place the Ozamiz City Police chief and all the night shift police personnel of the station under restrictive custody pending probe on the incident.

Parojinog was deported to the Philippines in July 2018, two months after his arrest in Taiwan where he fled following the police raid on the clan's compound, which killed his brother, former mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr.

He was facing charges for murder, illegal possession of firearms and illegal possession of explosives. — RSJ, GMA News