How Parojinogs hold seats of power in Ozamiz City

Long before Reynaldo "Aldong" Parojinog Sr. met his death on his 13th year as mayor of Ozamiz City on Sunday, the family name cast a long shadow of power over the region since the 1980s, data from GMA News Research showed.

According to a report on Balitanghali on Monday, the slain Parojinog had been re-elected as mayor for five consecutive terms since 2001.

Parojinog was killed early Sunday when a raid turned into a bloody encounter between the mayor's camp and the Ozamiz police serving search warrants for illegal firearms.

Had the fighting not ensued, the mayor would have finished his term until 2019.

Three of the mayor's brothers either served as councilors in Ozamiz City or provincial board members of the 2nd District of Misamis Occidental.

The mayor's brother Octavio "Ongkoy" Parojinog, who was provincial board member from 2016 to 2019, also died Sunday during the clash.

Ongkoy previously served as city councilor from 2013 until 2016.

The city's current councilor position has been filled up by another brother, Ricardo "Ardot" Parojinog since 2016.

Prior to that, Ardot was a provincial board member since 2007.

A third brother, Renato "Nato" Parojinog, was also provincial board member for a year in 2001.

Back in the 80s and 90s, the mayor's father, Octavio "Ongkoy" Parojinog Sr., was the founder of the Kuratong Baleleng, an anti-communist group.

Senator Ping Lacson said on Sunday that the once military-abiding group transformed into a criminal group engaging in kidnap for ransom, robbery, extortion and other illegal activities.

Meanwhile, the mayor's daughter, Nova Princess Parojinog-Eschavez, had been vice mayor since 2013.

The vice mayor had been a councilor for the city from 2007-2010 before she briefly took her father's place as city mayor in 2010 until 2013.

Father and daughter had been publicly named by President Rodrigo Duterte in July as political personalities allegedly linked to the illegal drugs trade.

Duterte also divulged the vice mayor's romantic relationship with Herbert Colanggo, one of the top drug lords in the country. —Margaret Claire Layug/KG, GMA News