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BY PRINCE GOLEZ, Manila Reporter
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Saturday, June 3, 2017
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MANILA – Don’t expect the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) of President Rodrigo Duterte to welcome with open arms Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog of Iloilo City anytime soon.
Mabilog left the Liberal Party (LP) recently.
On Tuesday during the mass oath-taking in Malacañang of newly appointed government officials, Duterte again linked Mabilog to slain suspected Iloilo drug lord Melvin Odicta Sr. and wife Meriam.
“I know the day will come when the President will know the truth that I am not related by blood, neither by affinity, to that Odicta, not even to the farthest branch of my family tree,” said Mabilog.
Duterte is waging a deadly war on illegal drugs. “Ang sa Western Visayas, si Odicta, ‘yung couple na pinatay doon sa…when they landed somewhere ano…iyon ‘yung pinsan ni Mabilog, the mayor of Iloilo,” he said.
Unidentified gunmen shot the Odicta couple to death in August last year in Malay, Aklan.
“For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open,” Mabilog said, quoting Luke 8:17.
He also said “all Ilonggos know” that he was not related to the Odictas or engaged in illegal drugs.
“I surrender everything to God. I believe, hope, have faith and love him. He will take care of everything…In his time. In Jesus name. I pray. Amen,” he said.
In leaving the LP, Mabilog said he wanted to be “independent” and “focus on my job” in the last two years of his final term as mayor.
He denied that his decision had something to do with Duterte’s name-shaming him as a drug protector.
Neither was he pressured to resign from the former ruling party, he clarified.
Mabilog also said he had not received any invitation to join PDP-Laban.
In an interview last month, Mabilog said politics was “farthest from my priorities.” But he may announce his plans next year, he said.
A Senate source told Panay News a senator from Luzon close both to the President and Mabilog offered to arrange a meeting between the two but Duterte thumbed down the idea.
It was in Aug. 7 last year when the President first accused Mabilog of being a drug coddler. He repeated this assertion in several other speeches./PN
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