Cabinet Sec. Leoncio Evasco Jr. echoed President Duterte’s continued call for drug-linked officials to end their involvement in narcotics trade and avoid ending up like the Parojinogs of Ozamiz City.
Evasco during the 1st Panagat Festival in Dauis on Tuesday said that the arrest and death of some members of the drug-linked Parojinog family were strong messages to other narco-politicians.
“Kanang mga mayor, barangay kapitan, congressman ug gobernador, kung nag labot-labot mo dinha undang namo,” said Evasco.
However, Evasco noted that Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, his wife and 13 others were not executed but were killed after the said suspects allegedly first shot at arresting policemen during a raid.
“Dili buot pasabot nga tungod kay nasuta ka diha nga nagpaluyo sa pagpayuhot ug iligal nga droga pusilon dayon ka, wala may order ang presidente nga ingon ana,” he said.
The former Maribojoc mayor also denied allegations that the government ordered extrajudicial killings of drug suspects.
“Wala may order ang presidente nga ingon ana, kanang gitawag nila nga EJK dili mana tinood,” said Evasco. “Kung mo sukol ka, human g’yod ka diha. Isip depensa sa pulis, naay mga mamatay.”
The Cabinet secretary did not disclose whether authorities have pinpointed drug-linked government officials in Bohol.
In Duterte’s previously released lists of alleged narco-politicians, there were also no Boholanos included.
However, Duterte previously singled out slain Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa as one of the primary reasons behind drug proliferation in Bohol.
While Espinosa has been killed, his arrested son, Rolan, was tagged last week by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) as among top suppliers of drugs to Bohol from 2013 to 2015.
Based on the a complaint filed by the CIDG before the justice department, Rolan sourced his drug supply from Cebu businessman Peter Go Lim and distributed it in Central and Eastern Visayas. (Allen Dodoyra)