DU30: JED A ‘BIG FISH’ President says drug war targets the rich, too

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BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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Thursday. September 21, 2017
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MANILA – Defending his anti-illegal drugs campaign from criticism that it only targets the poor, President Rodrigo Duterte said the drug war in fact drove Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog of Iloilo City out of the country.

Duterte has tagged Mabilog an illegal drug protector and pictured the mayor as affluent and with a palatial house.

“Sabi nila, where are the big fishes? Binigyan ko na kayo ng mga mayors na big fishes. Itong si Mabilog hindi na nga umuwi eh,” the President said yesterday during the oath-taking of new officers of the Philippine National Police Academy Alumni Association in Malacañang.

Mabilog might have been scared by the possible reassignment to Iloilo City of Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, the police chief of Ozamiz City, said Duterte.

Just this July 30, Ozamiz City’s Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and 14 others were killed in a shootout with policemen led by Espenido. November last year, Espenido was also the police chief of Albuera, Leyte when its mayor, Rolando Espinosa Sr., was shot to death.

Like Mabilog, both Parojinog and Espinosa were linked by Duterte to illegal drugs, too.

“Siguro alam niya na si Espenido naghihintay,” said Duterte yesterday.

On Aug. 30, the Iloilo City mayor left the country to attend a conference on disaster management in Yokohama, Japan. He has yet to return.

The President insisted his antidrug campaign applied to all Filipinos – rich and poor – involved in illegal drugs.

“As president, I will enforce the law neither for the rich (alone), neither for the poor (alone) but for everybody,” said Duterte.

The President described Mabilog as “anak siguro ito talaga ng mayamang-mayaman” during the Aug. 30 oath-taking of Philippine National Police’s star rank officers in Malacañang. He said the mayor’s residence in Molo district was “like a palace” then ordered a lifestyle check on the Iloilo City leader.

Reacting to the lifestyle check, Mabilog said, “I can assure the President not a single centavo of dirty money was spent for this home.”

“Modesty aside, I and my wife were already running a number of businesses before I joined politics. I was already living a comfortable life in Manila as an entrepreneur when I came home to run for city councilor. I didn’t become rich because of politics, much unlike many politicians,” stressed the mayor.

Mabilog served as city councilor from 2004 to 2007 and vice mayor from 2007 to 2010. He was elected mayor in 2010 and reelected in 2013 and 2016.

The mayor’s exact whereabouts remain unknown. After the Japan conference, he flew to Malaysia for a three-day international summit on sustainable development from Sept. 7 to 9. On Sept. 11 he went on a sick leave that would end this Sept. 30 yet.

Mabilog’s wife, the Canadian citizen Maria Victoria, confirmed she and her two children have left the Philippines but declined to disclose their exact location.

“Although it pains me to disclose that I brought the children out of the country because it could imperil their security, I am confirming that we are abroad,” Maria Victoria told Panay News through the internet.

Duterte has been increasingly critical of Mrs. Mabilog’s husband in recent weeks. Mabilog has vehemently denied being a protector, user or pusher of illegal drugs.

“With God as my witness, I have never protected anyone, especially in illegal drugs. Never.  I will never do that,” Mabilog told city hall employees during a speech on Aug. 29.

Before leaving for Japan the following day, the mayor addressed lifestyle check order of the President. In a statement, he stressed: “Everybody dreams of building a beautiful home. Marivic and I built one not only for ourselves but for our children. And I had hoped to plant seeds of inspiration among Ilonggos that through hard work, they, too, like Jed Mabilog, can achieve their dreams.”/PN
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