Ozamiz Vice Mayor Nova, brother test negative for drugs

Ozamiz City Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog-Echavez and her brother Reynaldo Jr. have tested negative for shabu and marijuana use, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday.

The Parojinogs underwent the drug test when they were brought to the PNP Custodial Center on July 31, a day after the deadly police raids at their homes in Ozamiz City.

“Screening test conducted on the urine specimens of the arrested living persons gave negative result for the presence of methamphetamine and THC-metabolites, both dangerous drugs,” Superintendent Ramos Bergonia, chief operations division of PNP Crime Laboratory, said in a press conference.

The siblings' parents, Mayor Reynaldo and Susan Parojinog, were among the 16 people killed in police raids last July 30.

Police said the Parojinog couple and the other people killed fired at the policemen during the raid last July 30.

Also killed during the raids were the mayor's brother, Provincial Board Member Octavio Parojinog and sister, Mona Parojinog.

The vice mayor and her brother were arrested as police seized unlicensed firearms and suspected illegal drugs from their residences during the raids. —ALG/KVD, GMA News