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[av_heading heading=’ ‘Iloilo should no longer be called shabulized’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – A staunch critic of Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said the city should no longer be called “shabulized”, citing the city chief executive’s effort to fight illegal drugs.
According to former Iloilo provincial administrator Manuel “Boy” Mejorada in a Facebook post, “Much has changed in (Mabilog’s) stance toward illegal drugs.”
“Iloilo City should no longer be called ‘shabulized’. It is not the ‘bedrock of illegal drugs’. Those labels now belong to the past,” he stressed.
Mejorada claimed to be the first to accuse Mabilog of being a drug protector as early as 2011 but he now believes it is unfair to stick the same label to the city mayor now.
“He has thrown his full support to (the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) and the (Philippine National Police) and is waging a grassroots campaign for the treatment and rehabilitation of drug dependents,” said Mejorada.
The city government’s financial support for antidrug operations has had a tremendous impact as it gave law enforcers wider latitude in running after drug peddlers, he added.
Mejorada admitted he and Mabilog “fought bitterly” during those times he was waging a crusade against illegal drugs, but he said he is now willing to give the mayor an opportunity to sustain what he has been doing lately.
“His was a sin of omission, and he wasn’t alone on that. The entire leadership of the city, including (Senator) Franklin Drilon, didn’t lift a finger to stop illegal drugs,” according to Mejorada.
The former Iloilo provincial administrator blamed Drilon more than anybody else.
“He had the moral ascendancy to whip everybody into line and fight illegal drugs. Everybody else was reduced to being foot soldiers, including the PNP, PDEA and (National Bureau of Investigation),” he reasoned out.
Mejorada said he supports that latest statement of PDEA Region 6 and Iloilo City Police Office which appeared to have cleared Mabilog. Both agencies confirmed the mayor was not in their respective watch list of drug personalities giving protection to illegal drug traders.
“There are many important things happening in the city, and I would like to give Mabilog breathing space to look after them,” according to Mejorada./PN
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