Espenido sees Parojinogs’ hand in murder raps filed vs him by Martilyo Gang suspect’s kin

August 15, 2017 - 6:45 PM
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Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, in photo from his Facebook account

MANILA – The controversial head of Ozamiz City’s police force, Inspector Jovie Espenido, attended the preliminary investigation Tuesday of the Department of Justice in the murder charges filed against him by relatives of a suspected member of the Martilyo Gang who was killed in a police operation last July 1.

From Ozamiz, Espenido flew to Manila to personally accept a copy of the complaint, and complained about the cost of the travel.

He also suspects that the case was instigated by the Parojinogs’ camp, the very powerful political family in Ozamiz whom he recently took on.

The mayor, Reynaldo Sr., his wife Susan and brother Octavio were among 14 people killed when police went to six Parojinog clan homes and farms, but Espenido claimed the mayor and his bodyguards had provoked the firefight when they shot at the approaching lawmen.

Espenido complained Tuesday about having been compelled to fly to Manila for the DOJ hearing on the Martilyo Gang case.

Bakit nandito pa? Pakitanong kay Secretary [Vitaliano] Aguirre kung bakit pa kami papuntahin dito para tanggapin ang mga affidavit of complaint? Espenido said the case should have just been heard in Mindanao.

He insisted that the Martilyo-related case is sheer harassment by the Parojinog camp, but offered no proof.

“Sino pa ba ang may kakayahan? Alam naman natin ang complainant. Hindi lang si Parojinog. Pati dito may tumutulong din [Who has the wherewithal to file this. We know the complainant. It’s not just Parojinog].”

The encounter where the Martilyo Gang member was killed took place June 1, or two months before the raids that killed Mayor Parojinog and the others.

According to Espenido, the Parojinogs and other criminal groups in Ozamiz are working with each other.

“Parojinog yang Martilyo Gang. Ang bank robbery, Parojinog ‘yan,” said Espenido.

“This is the time na magbayad sila. Justice has been done sa kawalanghiyaan ng mga Parojinog. Gaganda ang Ozamiz lalo na kung wala na ang mga Parojinog na ito.”

Speaking partly in Filipino, Espenido also justified the encounter with the Martilyo Gang. “There was a process there. The job was justifiable. Martilyo Gang, bank robbery, you know it has so many records.”

PNP sues dead mayor, wife

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police still filed charges of violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Law against the late Ozamiz Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and his wife Susan.

The case arose from the recovery of an alleged drug stash from their home during the July 30 raid.

The prosecutor, however, refused to accept the complaint from the police because the respondents are now dead.