A Mayor in the Philippines was killed in an early morning raid on July 30, 2017. Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and 11 others, allegedly fired upon the police raiding team who were serving a search and arrest warrant. Killed along the mayor is his wife, Susan Parojinog and his brother Octavio Parojinog Jr. Octavio is a Board Member of the province of Misamis Occidental.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that 11 others, including the mayor’s daughter, Ozamiz City Vice-Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog Echaves were arrested after the raid.
In another anti-drug operation, the police likewise raided the house of City Councilman Ricardo Parojinog. Assorted high powered firearms and ammunitions were seized during the raid. It is not reported however if drugs were also found.
Not the first government elected official to be killed during a raid
Ozamiz mayor Reynaldo Parojinog is not the first mayor that was killed in a Drug Raid. It can be remembered that Albuera town, Mayor Rolando Espinosa was similarly killed in a drug raid late last year. The mayor, however, was already detained in jail when police raided his cell and shot him. The Philippine Senate even investigated the case. The case is still unresolved as of today.
US President Trump supports Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had reiterated in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) that his war on drugs would continue to intensify despite criticism from some local and international communities. Despite the backlash, US President Donald Trump called him earlier this year and gave his support for his crusade against illegal drugs.
The Washington post reported which CNN retweeted that the conversation was chilling. The US president not only showed support but even praised him for his tough stance. He narrated that he will receive greater understanding from him compared to his predecessor Barack Obama.
War on drugs will benefit the economy in the long run
Although the bloody war on drugs and other crimes are being criticized, economists see a silver lining across the horizon. The tough stance on drugs is a necessary evil in order to bring about peace and order in the country. Investors prefer a safer environment if they intend to invest in a country. This will surely attract more investments when the situation stabilizes. This will lead to a better business climate in the future.
More than 7000 people were already killed since President Rodrigo Duterte was elected last year. This count includes drug suspects killed by unknown groups and are still unresolved. Filipinos reaction on this killings is mixed.
Some sectors including human rights group are condemning the president for the killings. The majority of the population, however, supports and applauds the authorities for their efforts. If this recent killing does not send chills down the spine of the drug lords in this country and stop their activities, the president vowed to send them all to hell for their activities.
