BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – Will former mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog consider returning home and shed light on what transpired during his incumbency that led to this city’s tagging as the “most shabulized” in 2017?
During the hearing of the House of Representatives “quad” committee on August 16, Cong. Julienne Baronda told her colleagues that she was ready to communicate with Mabilog and persuade him to return and testify.
“Kung gustuhin man ng komisyon na ito, I might be able to convince Mayor Jed to go home so we can also ask for his statement on what happened to him,” said Baronda.
The House’s quad committee conducted its first hearing on the proliferation of drugs and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations (POGOs) under the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
The “quad” committee is composed of the Committees of Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts.
Duterte tagged Iloilo City as the country’s “most shabulized” and the “bedrock of illegal drugs” after accusing Mabilog of being a “drug protector.”
Mabilog had repeatedly denied the allegations and left the country in 2017 due to fears for his security.
In his previous press conference, Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said the term “shabulized” has been resolved and is no longer relevant for the City of Love.
“If ever na ginamit yung term ‘shabulized city’ years before, iba na ngayon. Kitang-kita natin under the leadership of Mayor Mayor Jerry Treñas, ibang-iba,” Abalos told reporters after Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (BIDA) Rise and Run a few months back.
In the press briefing, Abalos said the current administration’s approach to illegal drugs is different from that of Duterte.
“It’s going grassroots. It is knowing the problem and making sure all actions will be very, very effective,” said Abalos.
Abalos acknowledged the vital role of the local government units in the government’s continued campaign against illegal drugs.
“We are doing a whole-of-nation approach. What is important is that with all the support, you make use of this to look at the gaps,” he said in an interview.
For his part, Mayor Treñas assured Abalos that the city and all its villages are supportive of the government’s anti-drug campaign.
“The problem with drugs is multi-faceted, that is why we support the police but at the same time, we work with the barangays because the real problem is with the barangays. And it is only through a community effort that we will be able to stop this,” Treñas said./PN
