Remains of Mayor Parojinog, 7 others exhumed for autopsy

The remains of Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. and five others have been exhumed and will be subjected to another autopsy.

A Balitanghali report on Sunday said the remains of the Parojinog patriarch, his wife Sudan, siblings Octavio and Mona and two others were exhumed on Saturday.

The report said the bodies were exhumed for a second autopsy to be conducted by forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun.

The report said the second autopsy will help determine how the victims were killed during bloody raids by the Ozamiz City police last July 30.

The report added that the results of the second autopsy will be used by the Parojinog family as evidence against the policemen involved in the operation, including Ozamiz City police chief Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido.

The Parojinog family are claiming that the mayor and 15 others were not killed in a gunfight contrary to the police's claims.

Early last month, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said that the mayor and seven others have tested positive for gunpowder burns.

PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Dionardo Carlos had said that testing positive for paraffin means a gun near a person’s hand was fired.

Meanwhile, the report said officials of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and Fortun had visited the compound of the Parojinogs were the bloody raid was conducted.

Siblings Nova Princess and Reynaldo, arrested during the raids, are detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame on charges of illegal possession of firearms and drugs. —report from Rida Reyes/Anna Felicia Bajo/ALG, GMA News