Mayor positive for gunpowder nitrates: police

August 3, 2017

Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr. of Ozamiz City, who was killed with 15 others in a police raid on Sundav, tested positive for gunpowder nitrates, a spokesman of the Philippine National Police said Thursday.

Chief Superintendent Dionardo Carlos said this was the result of paraffin tests by regional police crime laboratory. He said seven people from Parojinog's camp tested also positive for gunpowder nitrates.

Carlos said the findings “"will show us the firearms that were recovered in the premises were used and there was a gun battle, there was an exchange of gunfire."

Parojinog's wife Susan and sister Mona, were not subjected to paraffin tests as no firearms were found near their bodies.

An alleged survivor of the police raids said in a television interview Parojinog was shot by policemen.

Carlos said Parojinog was not shot at close range as there were no traces of smudging. It was the same feedback he got from the other autopsy results.

"There was no smudging so it was delivered at a distance," said Carlos.

Parojinog died from gunshot wounds on the chest and face while Octavio and Mona sustained blast wounds caused by a grenade. The rest sustained gunshot wounds. His wife, aside from gunshot wounds, also had blast injuries.

President Rodrigo Duterte defended the police’s action in Ozamiz after certain sectors say it was an overkill. The Commission on Human Rights has begun investigating if protocols were followed in the implementation of the search warrant and use of deadly force. DMS