Philippine Police: Mayor, 14 Others Killed in Drug Raids

A mayor, his wife and at least 13 others were killed Sunday when Philippine police launched predawn raids at the homes of local politicians accused by President Rodrigo Duterte of being drug traffickers.

Among those killed was Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog of southern Ozamiz city, his wife, Susan, and brother, Octavio, who was a town official. A daughter, Nova Princess, who is the mayor’s deputy, was arrested.

The raids occurred less than a week after Duterte vowed to continue with his anti-narcotics war amid criticism from rights groups.

Several kilos of methamphetamine hydrochloride and high powered firearms were seized from six homes owned by the Parojinogs, according to officials.

Police said the raiding team “were met with a volley of fire” from the mayor’s private militia, triggering a gun battle that lasted about two hours. One policeman was hurt but was said to be out of danger.

“There was gunfire coming from the security of the Parojinogs, forcing the policemen to retaliate,” local police spokesman Supt. Lemuel Gonda said.

Private militia members employed by the mayor were killed in the gun battle, according to officials. Ozamiz police chief Jovie Espenido said 15 were killed in the raids, the Associated Press reported.

A separate raid at the home of another of the mayor’s brothers, village councilor Ricardo Parojinog, yielded several weapons and drugs, but he escaped and is the subject of a manhunt, police said.

War on drugs

The Parojinogs were among those named last year by President Duterte as among about 150 local officials and politicians involved in drugs. The family denied the accusation.

At least two other mayors allegedly linked to drugs were killed in 2016.

In November, Albuera mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was killed in his jail cell during a shootout with police after being arrested on drug charges in October. Also in October, another mayor, Samsudin Dimaukom, was gunned down by police officers near the southern region of Maguindanao after he allegedly rammed through a checkpoint and fired at them.

Sunday’s raid came less than a week after Duterte vowed in Congress he would carry on with his drugs war that has left thousands dead since he took office last year, despite widespread condemnation from rights group.

In his state of the union speech on Monday, Duterte asked critics, including the United States, the European Union as well as the United Nations, to instead educate the public on the scourge rather than condemning him.

“I do not intend to loosen the leash in the campaign or lose the fight against illegal drugs. Neither do I intend to preside over the destruction of the Filipino youth by being timid and tentative in my decisions and actions,” Duterte said.

“The fight will be unremitting as it will be unrelenting. Despite international and local pressures, the fight will not stop until those who deal in it understand that they have to cease.

Police said at least 2,700 alleged drug addicts and drug peddlers have been killed since Duterte became president last year. About 5,700 drug-related deaths were under investigation including those blamed on vigilantes.

The government has denied having a hand in the killings and said they could be part of a purge by warring drug gangs amid the government’s large-scale drug war.