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[av_heading heading=’Duterte not finished with Mabilog yet’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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Thursday, November 30, 2017
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MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte is not finished with former Iloilo City mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog yet.
Yesterday he again took a jab at Mabilog, this time for not coming back to the country after the Office of the Ombudsman dismissed the mayor from service over questionable wealth.
Mabilog, one of the mayors the President linked to the illegal drug trade, failed to explain how his net worth increased by P8.9 million in one year from 2012 to 2013.
“I told you Mabilog was a drug dealer. I told him ‘you will be next’ so he went out of the country. He was dismissed. Hindi na bumalik,” the President said in Pangasinan.
The “drug dealer” charge of the President is a new one. He previously accused Mabilog of being a drug protector.
“Why would you be afraid (to come back if you are really innocent),” asked Duterte.
Mabilog left the country for an international conference on disaster management in Japan on Aug. 31 after Duterte warned him to cut ties with drug lords.
From Japan, he flew to Malaysia to attend an environment summit but while abroad took a sick leave during which the Ombudsman ordered him dismissed from government service.
None from Mabilog’s staff could say where the former mayor really is now. In previous interviews, his wife Maria Victoria, a Canadian citizen, confirmed they were concerned of Mabilog’s safety and so decided to leave the country.
Maria Victoria cited “the present threat, veiled or otherwise” but declined to disclose their whereabouts. She admitted she was keeping her husband from returning.
“Better be healthy first and safe than sorry,” she stressed.
On Aug. 28, President Duterte announced the reassignment of Ozamiz City police director Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido to Iloilo City. A few days after, however, the Philippine National Police said the reassignment won’t push through because Espenido’s job to cleanse Ozamiz from illegal drugs was not yet finished.
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.
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, just like Mabilog.
Mabilog rejected the charge he was coddling drug traffickers, pushing or using illegal drugs.
Despite the President’s repeated accusations, no proof has been presented or charges filed against Mabilog in court./PN
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