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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Monday, September 4, 2017
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ILOILO City – A Facebook post of Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog’s wife sparked questions on their whereabouts a few days after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a lifestyle check on the city’s chief executive.
A cryptic part of Maria Victoria Mabilog’s post on Sept. 1 read: “This was the longest 32 hours. At first I said to myself we don’t deserve this.”
Mayor Mabilog was in Japan on an official trip last week, according to his city hall staff but nobody knew the whereabouts of his wife or children. None would confirm or dismiss speculations that they left the country.
“As far as I am concerned, I’m not aware of it,” said Atty. Mark Piad, Mabilog’s spokesperson.
Thursday afternoon last week, a four-man team from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) entered the compound of Mabilog’s residence in Barangay Tap-oc, Molo district, looked around and took pictures. Only a few household staff was there.
“All we really just wanted was to make Iloilo better and every Ilonggo proud of their own city. We gave our all and more,” part of Maria Victoria’s post read.
On Thursday evening, supporters of Mabilog held a prayer rally at Plaza Libertad just across city hall. They defended the mayor from the President’s accusation of being a drug coddler.
They lit candles and said they were praying for Iloilo City, too. The President’s unproven allegations against Mabilog was also hurting the city, they lamented.
The mayor’s wife hinted having gotten help from concerned “people in our circle.”
“But looking back, recalling every second of the last 30 hours, I got to know real people at their very best. I got to realize that indeed, there are people in our circle willing to risk their lives, career, well-being and safety so that we get to live another day,” Maria Victoria posted on Facebook.
It was unclear if the post was a goodbye message to friends and supporters, including a “special teacher” and a “very special friend from grade school.”
Here’s the rest of the Facebook post:
“Each one of you, our dearest friends showed us what REAL LOVE is all about. To those friends whom I had sent messages, THANK YOU! Your warm words of encouragement lifted me up to heights undescribable (sic). Thank you to a special teacher to whom I reached out to first. Thank you, Ma’am for taking that burden off my shoulder. Thank you to a very special friend from grade school. Yours was the fuel that caused the catalystic chain reaction. To everyone else, thank you. Your love and efforts are just equally valuable.
“Today, more than ever, I realized how significant our mission is. Let’s all embrace it and not falter.
“The last thirty hours was a journey of love, friendships and above all, citizenship.
“A cirizenship (sic) to a world of true humanity. Good night and I thank God for those who are with us in this journey. Salut!”
Speaking to city hall employees on Tuesday, Mabilog rejected the charge he was coddling drug traffickers.
“With God as my witness, I have never protected anyone, especially in illegal drugs. Never. I will never do that,” he said.
October last year, the Mabilog couple opened their house to the local media in an effort to dispel insinuations of corruption or drug money used. The Department of Interior and Local Government’s Task Force Agila was then investigating the mayor and other local government officials that Duterte linked to illegal drugs. Before the task force was able to complete its investigation, however, it was dissolved following the firing from the Duterte Cabinet of then Interior secretary Ismael Sueno in April this year.
There were claims P50 million was spent for Mabilog’s house. According to Maria Victoria, however, it cost “a little less than P8 million.”
“Modesty aside, I and my wife were already running a number of businesses before I joined politics. I was already living a comfortable life in Manila as an entrepreneur when I came home to run for city councilor. I didn’t become rich because of politics, much unlike many politicians,” said Mabilog on Wednesday.
According to Mabilog, his wife worked in Canada for many years. She made “huge sacrifices” and “wise investments” that were reported in her income tax returns, he stressed.
Mabilog served as city councilor from 2004 to 2007 and vice mayor from 2007 to 2010. He was elected mayor in 2010 and reelected in 2013 and 2016./PN
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