After being forced into a seven-year exile in the US, former mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog finally came forward at the 6th QuadCom hearing to defend himself against the baseless accusations hurled at him by none other than former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Mabilog’s testimony is crucial, as it came with direct implications against Duterte and his loyal PNP chief, Sen. Bato dela Rosa.
Mabilog didn’t hold back laying out the facts: under his leadership, Iloilo City was recognized both locally and internationally for its strides in governance, environmental management and urban development.
Mabilog even noted that he was named one of the top five mayors in the world by a respected London-based foundation, a distinction that highlights his achievements on a global scale.
As mayor of Iloilo, Mabilog wasn’t just fighting the drug problem– he was succeeding. The city earned consistent praise from PDEA and PNP for its efforts to combat drugs, yet Duterte still chose to publicly demonize him.
During the hearing, Mabilog brought a nearly 10-inch-thick document detailing his and Iloilo’s accomplishments. And honestly, if Cong. Pimentel hadn’t cut him off, Mabilog could have spent hours showing just how thoroughly Duterte’s accusations crumble under the weight of actual evidence.
Imagine the shock of Mabilog when despite all that, he was unjustly and baselessly included in the narcolist.
Mabilog made it clear: his inclusion was never about drugs; it was about politics. His real “crime”? Being related to former Senator Frank Drilon, a vocal critic of Duterte and refusing to bow to Duterte’s whims during the presidential campaign. What’s more absurd is that Duterte, according to Mabilog, held a petty grudge over a brownout during a campaign rally in Iloilo for which the blame was apparently put on him.
And then came the threats. Duterte publicly threatened Mabilog’s life in several public broadcasts in 2017. These weren’t empty words, especially when backed by Duterte’s bloody drug war, where thousands lost their lives. Even more disturbing, Mabilog recounted how, just before a meeting with Bato dela Rosa at Camp Crame, he received a phone call from a PNP Colonel that “sent shivers down [his] spine” warning him not to go – unless he wanted to die.
Is it any wonder that Mabilog fled the country? We can’t help but agree with Mabilog – “flight is guilt” does not apply here. Anyone in Mabilog’s shoes would have done the same thing. His exile isn’t a mark of guilt; it’s a testament to how twisted and dangerous the vendetta directed at him really was.
