‘Wipe out’ Parojinog relatives? Duterte meant ‘prosecute to fullest extent,’ says Panelo

MANILA, Philippines — What did President Rodrigo Duterte mean when he said “ipaubos ko itong... ang order ko kay Espenido, ubusin niya ang putang inang angkan ni mayor (My order is for him to wipe out that son of a b**** family of the mayor)" on Wednesday?

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said during a Malacañang Press Conference Thursday morning that the president actually meant “they should be prosecuted to the fullest extent.”

When asked by a reporter if the president meant to kill, Panelo said, “No. Killing will only come if they resist arrest. If they do violence to those who are enforcing the law.”

Duterte said in Ozamiz City yesterday that he was ordering Police Superintendent Jovie Espenido to return to Ozamiz City.

Espenido led the deadly raid on the Parojinog home in 2017 when Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., his wife Susan, his brother Board Member Octavio Parojinog Jr., sister Mona and 12 others were killed.

READ: Ozamiz mayor, 14 others killed in police raids | Parojinogs' lawyer says the raid was a 'massacre'

The family had long been accused of being involved in drug trafficking and smuggling.

Espenido was also the chief of police in Albuera, Leyte, when the town's mayor who was also accused by the president of being involved in the drug trade was shot inside his cell.

READ: 'Narco mayor' shot dead in jail cell

Espenido was assigned to Catanduanes last October. On November 26, it was announced that he was going to return to Eastern Visayas as chief of Calbayog, Leyte.  

Asked for an explanation as to why the president re-assigned Espenido once again to Ozamiz, Panelo said, “Espenido was successful in raiding that place. Espenido was successful in ridding that place of drug lords.”

Panelo added that since Espenido’s departure from Ozamiz, the “drug incidences there increased by leaps and bounds. The president needs men like Espenido to do the job.”