Bato on Parojinog raid: Cutting CCTV cameras wrong

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said Monday that it was wrong for Crime Investigation and Detection Group operatives to cut the closed circuit television or CCTV cameras during the bloody raid which killed Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. and 14 others.

“Wala ako doon noong nangyari kaya hindi ko alam kung pinagtatanggal nga ‘yan (CCTV cameras), pero hindi tama,” Dela Rosa said in a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

The nation’s top cop said the supposed footage of CCTV cameras serve as part of transparency like the invitation of members of the media and community officers.

READ: Ozamiz mayor, 14 others killed in police raids

“Kaya nga nag-imbita ka pa ng taga-media, mag-imbita ka pa ng barangay official para transparent ang ginagawa sa pag-serve ng search warrant,” he added.

Parojinog, his wife Susan, brother Octavio and 12 others were killed yesterday after an alleged shootout against the raiding team of the CIDG, which came to serve a search warrant for illegal drugs and unlicensed firearms.

Lawyer Jeffrey James Ocang, meanwhile, claimed that there was no resistance from the part of the Parojinogs and CCTV cameras were cut prior to the actual operation.

“I don’t know about that. He is free to claim whatever he want because he is in the side of the Parojinogs. What do you expect from the lawyer of the Parojinog to praise the police? No, you cannot expect them to praise us from what we are doing,” Dela Rosa said.

Ozamiz City police director Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido admitted they intentionally “paralyzed” CCTV cameras for security reasons. Espenido, who served as police director in Albuera, Leyte, of which the mayor, Rolando Espinosa Sr., was killed last year, explained that they did not want their confidential agents and witnesses to be “identified in the CCTV cameras.”

A National Bureau of Investigation probe found that Espinosa was killed in a rubout.

The Ozamiz mayor was named by President Rodrigo Duterte last year as among the local chief executives involved in the illegal drug trade.

His family was also tagged behind the Kuratong Baleleng gang known for bank robbery in the 90s.

READ: From Kuratong Baleleng to politics