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BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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MANILA – Malacañang said President Rodrigo Duterte is willing to discuss with Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog of Iloilo City the latter’s alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
“I am sure if he goes to the usual channels of appointment, the President will be willing to sit with him,” said Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella yesterday.
In an interview on national television, Mabilog said he had long requested for an appointment with the President but failed to secure one.
In March, the mayor told Panay News he would write the President a letter to clear his name.
“I’ve been doing everything po. Kaya lang mayor lang po ako ng Iloilo City and I don’t know anyone in the national level, much more sa Malacañang to meet the President so we could talk and mapakita ko man lang sa kanya ‘yung mga nagawa ko,” said Mabilog.
On Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido’s reassignment to Iloilo City from Ozamiz City, Abella urged Filipinos to support the administration’s fight against illegal drugs.
“We call on our people to unite with the State in our campaign against drugs through both police action and drug prevention and rehabilitation with full respect for the law – for human rights and the rule of law, which is the pledge of the President,” said Abella.
Just this July 30, Ozamiz City’s Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and 14 others were killed in a shootout led by Espenido who was serving search warrants at Parojinog’s properties in barangays Baybay San Roque and Baybay Santa Cruz.
November last year, Espenido was also the police chief of Albuera, Leyte when its mayor, Rolando Espinosa Sr., was killed in a shootout as police were attempting to serve a search warrant.
Both Parojinog and Espinosa were linked by Duterte to illegal drugs.
According to Abella, Duterte has his “own sources of intelligence” for accusing Mabilog of having links to the illegal drug trade.
“(The President) has his own reason (and) own plan of action,” he added.
Abella also said there is no “specific spelled out reason” for Espenido’s reassignment to Iloilo City but that the police official “is going to be part of the whole government approach which is something to do with prevention (and) rehab. So, it is going to be a whole government approach. He is expected to work with the rest of the whole government.”
Abella denied that Duterte is singling out Mabilog.
“I don’t think there is any need to single out Mabilog. This is simply part of the President’s overall campaign against illegal drugs,” he told Panay News.
Is Espenido’s reassignment a sign that Iloilo has a serious drug problem?
“I suppose the best we can say at this stage is that it is sign that his work in Ozamiz is done,” said Abella./PN
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