Palace: Duterte wants to put Parojinogs in jail

President Rodrigo Duterte wants the Parojinog clan prosecuted and put behind bars for their alleged crimes, Malacañang explained Thursday after the chief executive threatened to "wipe out" the family.

The Parojinogs, led by slain Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., are allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.

Duterte, in a speech in Ozamiz on Wednesday night, lashed out at the Parojinogs after Misamis Occidental Representative Henry Oaminal said that the Parojinogs threatened witnesses against them.

"The Parojinog family, stop threatening people. I will wipe you from the face of the earth. I’m telling you. I will really finish all of you off including the police [scalawags]. You better watch out," the President said in a mix of Cebuano and English.

Asked during the Palace briefing to clarify the President's remarks, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said: "It means he will pursue to the ends of the earth these criminals until they are behind bars."

Panelo said Duterte's words should not be taken to mean that the President wanted the family killed.

"No. Killing will only come if they resist arrest, if they do violence to those who are enforcing the law. It is very clear every time the President says that," the Palace official said.

The Philippine National Police has issued Special Order 15606, reassigning controversial Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido from Calbayog City in Samar back to Ozamiz City as the chief of the city police effective on Thursday.

The PNP's order came after Duterte ordered that Espenido be brought back to Ozamiz.

Panelo said that drug incidence in Ozamiz increased after Espenido left the city for another assignment.

"Well if you recall, Espenido was successful in ridding that place of drug lords, those who push drugs. And apparently since his departure, the drug incidence there increased by leaps and bounds. So, the President needs men like Espenido to do the work," Panelo said.

He said Espenido is expected to pursue charges against those involved in narcotics trade and ensure the rehabilitation of those who had been addicted to illegal drugs.

Espenido was the police chief of Albuera town in Leyte when Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., died during a bloody police search operation at a jail facility in Baybay City, Leyte in November 2016.

The following year, he was transferred to Ozamiz, where then Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and 15 others were also killed in a series of drug raids.

Ozamiz Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog and her brother, Reynaldo Parojinog Jr., were arrested and are currently detained on cases for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, and illegal possession of explosives and dangerous drugs.

The judge handling their cases was shot to death on October 8. The Parojinogs immediately denied involvement and called on authorities to investigate and arrest the perpetrators. 

Ozamiz City Councilor Ricardo "Ardot" Parojinog, who went into hiding following the deadly raids, was deported by Taiwan in July for illegal entry using spurious documents.

Ardot Parojinog is also facing several cases including murder and illegal possession of explosives before an Ozamiz court. — BM, GMA News