OZAMIZ CITY—The late Mayor Reynaldo
Parojinog Sr. and his wife, Susan, were buried, Wednesday morning, Aug.16, in the
family’s maosoleum inside the Mt. Malindang Memorial Gardens in Bagakay.
Earlier, the scheduled burial for
Monday (Aug. 14) was reset to Wednesday by
relatives as they seek a second, private autopsy to determine the circumstances
of their death in a police raid two weeks ago after insisting police raiders
had committed “overkill.”
Thousands paid their last respects to
Parojinog and wife who were buried along with the mayor’s brother, Board Member
Octavio Parojinog Jr. and sister Mona.
The four were among the 16 persons
killed during a drug raid in the homes of the Parojinogs in Barangay Sta. Cruz
last July 30, 2017.
A funeral procession was held 9:00
in the morning from the San Roque basketball court passing Cotta Shrine in
Barangay Triunfo to the Immaculate Conception Cathedral where a Requiem mass was
held.
Retired Archbishop Jesus A. Dosado
celebrated the funeral liturgy which was attended by thousands of friends and supporters
who called for justice to the slain family.
Dosado, a close acquaintance of
Parojinog, criticized some people who pronounced a bad opinion to the slain
mayor for his alleged wrongdoings, while failing to remember his good
contributions for the city’s development.
Dosado also called for clear-headedness
among residents and to help bring an end to the violence in Ozamiz.
Government workers and residents
also joined the funeral march, as school children waved flags on the
side-streets.
Vice Mayor Nova Parojinog, who is
still detained in Camp Crame with her brother Dodo for illegal possession of
firearms and illegal drugs, had her eulogy read out during the funeral mass.
The deceased Parojinog family members
were finally laid to rest at about 2:45 in the afternoon after a long procession
from the cathedral to the cemetery, about 5 kilometers from the city proper. (MICHAEL
MEDINA, WITH REPORTS BY BERNALD TECSON SR.)