The scion of a political clan whom President Rodrigo Duterte had linked to the illegal drugs trade was found dead in his prison cell in Ozamiz City on Friday, sparking a police investigation, authorities said.
Former Ozamiz councilor Ardot Parojinog's body bore no signs of violence. At the time of his death, he was facing a slew of charges, including murder, according to GMA News. He was aapparently in "low spirits (matamlay)," last week, the regional police chief, Brig. Gen. Rolando Anduyan, was quoted on GMA News.
He was transferred to Ozamiz from a high security jail cell in Camp Crame a few days before for a court date.
Parojinog was deported from Taiwan in 2018, where he went in hiding after the drug-dealing allegations were raised. At that time, authorities put up a P5 million bounty for his capture.
His elder brother, former Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., was killed in a police raid in 2017. The elder Parojinog's wife and 13 others were also killed while their two children were arrested.
The war on drugs is the centerpiece project of the Duterte government, part of a broad peace and order campaign that led to the former Davao City mayor's election as President in 2016.
Soon after his elections, Duterte unveiled a so-called "narco list" of people in government who allegedly aided the illegal drugs trade. The campaign also led to the detention of one of his most vocal critics, Sen. Leila de Lima.
