Dispatch from Crame No. 903:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the death of Ardot Parojinog

After the killing of his brother, the former Mayor of Ozamis City, and several other family members in the massacre of the Parojinog family in 2017, here comes another suspicious death of a Parojinog, former City Councilor Ricardo "Ardot" Parojinog, who is a fellow PDL here at the PNP Custodial Center.

Mr. Parojinog's sudden death while momentarily there at the Ozamis City Police jail to await a hearing last Friday, Sept. 4, is highly suspicious. The reported cause of death - "cardiopulmonary arrest secondary to cardiovascular disease and probably COVID-19" - was immediately announced without a proper autopsy, and foul play was peremptorily ruled out.

In those unusual instances of death while in the custody of PNP, the cause of death should be conclusively established through an autopsy, considering precedents of summary execution of even those already under detention.

I learned that the deceased's niece, former Vice Mayor Nova Parojinog, also detained here, repeatedly expressed to him that his life would be in danger if he sets foot in Ozamis City which remains to be a volatile place as an offshoot of the July 2017 massacre of the Parojinog family by a raiding team led by then Ozamis City Chief of Police Lt. Col. Jovie Espenido.

I have been wondering why the trial of Parojinog's case had to be held in Ozamis City when there's sufficient basis for a change of venue. I'm also wondering why Mr. Parojinog had to be brought there personally for the hearing when there's the available option for a virtual hearing via video-conferencing which is now the norm during this pandemic, as authorized by the SC itself.

In travelling to Ozamis City for the scheduled hearing, Mr. Parojinog was escorted by a small team of PNP Custodial officers and personnel, presumably to be reinforced by the local police. While there, he was placed inside the local police station's jail. How convenient for the authorities that Parojinog suddenly dies there.

Nobody thought of posting, round-the-clock, a PNP Custodial guard (not local police) outside his cell? They know or should have known that Ozamis City has become a hostile territory for the now beleaguered Parojinog clan whom the President threatened to "wipe out". Truly, this is another suspicious death of a targeted drug personality within a jail or prison.

We only have to recall the recent death of high-profile Bilibid inmate Jaybee Sebastian who is touted to be a "star witness" against me. The official version of the cause of his death is "acute myocardial infarction" or heart attack due to "complications from COVID-19". I believe that he was murdered to prevent him from retracting his statement against me.

Astoundingly, Sebastian supposedly executed a new affidavit embellishing his stories accusing me of involvement in the Bilibid drug trade, 6 days before his death! And now the prosecution wants to present this affidavit in evidence, as if an affidavit can be cross-examined on the truth of its contents. How convenient for my tormentors and their DOJ lackeys!

In time, we will know the truth behind these mystery deaths which have become a dime-a-dozen under a kill! kill! kill! President.

Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 903 here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_no._903)