AN INTELLIGENCE report has tagged some politicians in Mandaue City and their supporters as protectors of the Parojinog drug syndicate.
The information came from the Ozamiz City police, according to Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) Director Julian Entoma.
According to the report, some members of the Parojinog group have been hiding in the city. The group rents houses that it uses as warehouses to store shabu.
Last Feb. 8, the Regional Special Operations Group caught Charlie Duhaylungsod Fortuna and seized P48 million worth of shabu inside his house in Vista Montana Subdivision in Barangay Casili.
Fortuna is reportedly an underling of Romy Ramas, an inmate of the Mandaue City Jail. Ramas reportedly has links to the Parojinog group.
Members of the Parojinog group who have warrants of arrest like a former barangay official of Ozamiz City and the nephew of the former mayor identified as Marlon Parojinog were reportedly spotted in Mandaue City and in neighboring cities.
Appeal
“Dili nato mabalewala kon duna karoy gi-bodega diha sa Mandaue City (We cannot discount the possibility that there are drugs kept in warehouses in Mandaue City),” Entoma said.
Police had tagged members of the Parojinog group to be responsible for several shooting incidents in the city.
Entoma said they obtained an intelligence report from Ozamiz City police that some members of the Parojinog group lived in Barangay Cubacub, including Renan Mabida and Mark Lester Castillo who were killed last year.
These members, he said, are protected by politicians.
Entoma urged barangay leaders to report to the police any member of a criminal group.
“If possible, they should report to us. They should not wait for us to arrest members of the group and their names just happened to be mentioned because that would only validate their links. It can be that they were enticed to protect these people during the barangay election. Maybe they were given funding by the group. Based on the information from the Ozamiz police, these barangay officials were mentioned as protectors,” Entoma said in Cebuano.
Validation
When Entoma was asked if there were protectors among candidates in the midterm elections, he said, “Wala sa mga nidagan (None from those who filed their certificates of candidacy).”
In an interview, Mandaue Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna said he was already informed about the involvement of some officials.
“We have been aware of that possibility. That’s why we have not slowed down in our campaign (against illegal drugs). Long before the barangay elections, we were made aware of the involvement of some officials. With the recent seizure of a large haul of drugs again in Barangay Cubacub, this makes it the second time that a capture and seizure were made of and from drug personalities in the same barangay. We reiterate our full support for the police and PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency). Very recently, the CPOC (City Peace and Order Council) has authorized the mayor to use the City’s intelligence funds for both anti-crime and anti-drug operations,” he said.
For his part, Mandaue City Association of Barangay Councils president Ernie Manatad said the information should first be validated.
“Whatever info that is, I believe it should pass through an impartial process of validation and verification because for me, that is a serious intelligence info,” he said in Cebuano. (From FMD of SuperBalita Cebu, KAL)