Mayor's daughter in police custody

MANILA - (7th UPDATE) Ozamiz Mayor Reynaldo "Aldong" Parojinog and 14 others were killed in a series of raids in San Roque Lawis, Ozamiz City early Sunday.

Police met violent resistance when they served 6 search warrants for firearms in the properties of Parojinog and members of his family at around 2:30 a.m., according to Supt. Lemuel Gonda, spokesperson of the Northern Mindanao police.

"Nagkaroon po ng pagpapaputok galing sa security ng mga Parojinog kaya po iyung PNP (Philippine National Police) natin is nag-retaliate," Gonda told DZMM.

(The Parojinogs' security personnel fired so our policemen retaliated.)

Authorities have confirmed 15 fatalities in the incident as of 9 p.m., Gonda said in a text message to ABS-CBN News.

Among those killed were the mayor, his wife Susan and Ozamiz board member Octavio Parojinog.

Northern Mindanao police director Chief Supt. Timoteo Pacleb later told DZMM that several rifles, an unspecified amount of suspected shabu and bundles of cash were confiscated from the mayor's house.

Pacleb said the mayor's daughter, Vice Mayor Nova Princess Parojinog, was arrested during the operation. She is now in the custody of the Ozamiz police office and may be transferred to Manila.

Mayor Parojinog was one of the local government officials named in President Rodrigo Duterte's narco-list. His daughter, meanwhile, was reportedly in a relationship with high-profile Bilibid inmate Herbert Colangco.

• FULL TRANSCRIPT: Duterte's exposé vs drug-tagged officials

The mayor earlier denied any involvement in the illegal drugs trade.

PRIVATE ARMY, DRUG ACTIVITIES

Pacleb, however, said surveillance operations showed that the mayor was maintaining a private army.

"Mayroon tayong report na he's maintaining a private army. Marami po siyang mga security na nagdadala ng mga baril na walang lisensya," he said.

(We have reports that he was maintaining a private army. Many of his security personnel were armed with unlicensed guns.)

Asked if the mayor also continued his alleged drug activities, Pacleb said, "Ganoon na nga po ang lumalabas sa aming surveillance operations."

(That is what our surveillance operations showed. )

RAID VS COUNCILOR

A simultaneous raid on the home of the mayor's brother, Ozamiz Councilor Ricardo "Ardot" Parojinog also yielded several firearms and explosives, various drug paraphernalia and shabu, an ABS-CBN source said.

Ardot was not in his house during the operation that nabbed 5 other men.

Pacleb said a policeman was injured during Sunday's raids.

Refresh this link for more updates on this developing report. -- With Maria Cecilia Butardo and Jamaine Punzalan, ABS-CBN News