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[av_heading heading=’ ‘Iloilo City is not Ozamiz’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Saturday, September 2, 2017
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ILOILO – Iloilo City is not Ozamiz City, according to Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr.
Reacting to the reassignment of the Ozamiz City police chief to Iloilo City, Defensor said Iloilo has no violent drug lord.
In Ozamiz City on July 30, Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog who died in a police raid was linked to drug trafficking and other criminal activities.
“A notorious drug lord in Iloilo City is dead already. The other can no longer be found. Do you know any other drug lord in the city?” said Defensor.
The governor was referring to Melvin Odicta Sr. who was shot to death by unidentified gunmen in Malay, Aklan last year and Richard Prevendido who had gone into hiding also last year.
“The situation in Iloilo City is certainly not similar to Ozamiz’s,” said Defensor.
Still, he welcomed the reassignment of Ozamiz police chief, Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, to Iloilo City as ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte.
It was Espenido who led the police raid that killed Parojinog.
“His transfer to Iloilo City is good. He will see for himself the real situation on the ground and relay this to the President,” said Defensor.
Duterte has accused Iloilo City mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog of being a drug protector but the mayor denied this. When he announced Espenido’s Iloilo City reassignment on Aug. 28, he asked, “Mabuhay kaya siya (Would he live)?”
The President was referring to Mabilog.
“I don’t think Espenido will do that diri,” said Defensor.
The governor said Mabilog is not a drug lord and the President simply referred to the mayor as protector.
“Waay man ‘ya mabantugan si Mayor Mabilog nga may ginpatay. Waay sya gani mabantugan nga may gintayaan sya. Waay man sya mabantugi may ginsumbag sya. Kon drug protector sya, ti wala ko ‘ya kabalo pero mabal-an man na ‘ni Major Espenido kon matuod or indi,” said Defensor.
But he stressed he won’t seek the reassignment of Espenido to Iloilo province.
“I don’t need Espenido. Iloilo province has no notorious drug lord drug,” he stressed.
As to the three municipal mayors tagged by President Duterte as drug protectors, too, Defensor said he was not even sure about the allegation.
The mayors were Mariano Malones of Maasin, Alex Centena of Calinog and Sigfriedo Betita of Carles. All three denied being drug coddlers.
“If the allegation were true, why were there no charges filed against them?” asked Defensor./PN
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