FIREPOWER. High-powered firearms kept by Ozamiz City Councilor Ricardo Parojinog are seized by policemen in Ozamiz City. The crime group has reportedly transferred its operations to Cebu.
Alleged members of the notorious Parojinog crime group, believed to be responsible for the spate of killings in Cebu, have reportedly fled from their rented houses in Mandaue City.
Police Senior Supt. Julian Entoma, chief of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), said this following the ambush-killing of Councilman Edgar Bihag of Barangay Cubacub and the wounding of Barangay Public Safety Office (BPSO) Officer Paulino Vega last Wednesday.
“Sa pagkahitabo karon, negative na sa maong area. Mura silag namalhin (Because of the incident, they are no longer seen in the area. I think they have transferred),” Entoma told Cebu Daily News over the phone.
According to Entoma, members of the Ozamiz-based group, also known as the Kuratong Baleleng Gang, are renting apartment units in two barangays in Mandaue City.
He did not specify where.
The organized crime group had been linked to robbery, extortion and drug trafficking cases in Cebu.
Entoma said members of the group are now considered persons of interest in the killing of Bihag.
Bihag and his cousins Barangay Captain Almario Bihag and Rolando Vega were on their way to the MCPO, when they were ambushed by two unidentified assailants on board a motorcycle in Barangay Alang-alang, Mandaue City on Wednesday.
Bihag suffered multiple gunshot wounds on his body which resulted to his death while Vega sustained a gunshot wound at the right side of his body and is recuperating at the hospital.
Captain Almario was unscathed.
The group were on their way to the MCPO riding a garbage truck to clear Edgar’s name after he was allegedly linked by the police to the Parojinog group.
Now, Entoma said, Village Chief Almario is now afraid of his safety.
He said they have deployed police personnel to do roving around the Cubacub Barangay Hall to secure Bihag.
“Atong gibutangan og pulis ngadto sa barangay hall sa Cubacub ug adto na sila mo-roving ug sila nay moalarma in case duna,” Entoma said.
Entoma said they will continue to be vigilant whether or not members of the group are still in Mandaue City.
“Dili ko kingon nga nibiya na sila sa among area. It can be nga dia ra gihapon (I cannot say that they already left our area in Mandaue. It’s possible that they are still here),” he said.
He added that he also alerted other police units because the group may have splintered and some could be in their areas.