By Rjay Zuriaga Castor and Francis Allan L. Angelo
Former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog returned to the country on Tuesday, September 10, after seven years of self-imposed exile in the United States due to threats to his life from former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Reliable sources confirmed to Daily Guardian that Mabilog arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 at around 11 a.m. aboard a Cathay Pacific aircraft.
The former mayor was reportedly met by operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The NBI director Jaime Santiago confirmed that they took Mabilog into custody upon arrival at the airport’s terminal on charges related to violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Santiago said the warrant of arrest was served to Mabilog by the International Airport Investigation Division of the NBI.
They then proceeded to the Sandiganbayan where Mabilog posted the PHP90,000 bail for his temporary release.
A source close to Mabilog told Daily Guardian that the former mayor was immediately released after posting bail.
The NBI confirmed that Mabilog surrendered to authorities to face charges stemming from alleged violations of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, as well as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
he Lapu-Lapu City Regional Trial Court Branch 73 and Sandiganbayan Third Division issued an arrest warrant against Mabilog for violation of the “Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees” and the “Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.”
The case is related to the botched clamping and towing contract in Iloilo City when Mabilog was still mayor.
The former mayor’s surprising return to the country appears to be tied to an official invitation he received to testify at a public hearing of a quad committee in Congress. He disclosed receiving this invitation during an exclusive interview with ANC.
The quad committee is composed of the House Committees on Dangerous Drugs, Public Order and Safety, Human Rights, and Public Accounts, which are all actively reviewing various issues related to the proliferation of drugs and the extrajudicial killings committed under the Duterte administration.
According to the House of Representatives website, the quad committee has a scheduled hearing this Thursday, September 12.
Mabilog’s ANC interview marks his first public appearance since he fled the country in 2017 and went into hiding.
The former mayor, whom Duterte accused of being a drug protector, detailed how he left the Philippines, where he sought refuge for seven years, his plans to clear his name regarding the drug war allegations, and whether he intends to return to politics.
BACK TO 2017
Mabilog disclosed that he went into a self-imposed exile after his official trip to Japan for a disaster management conference from August 31 to September 4, 2017.
From Japan, Mabilog and his family flew to the US, where they were granted political asylum with an indefinite stay by the US government.
“Seeing that there were threats to our life and seeing that I was innocent of these charges, therefore I assume that the reason why they granted asylum is for the protection of our lives,” he said.
Mabilog explained that his decision to flee was out of fear for his life, citing the extrajudicial killings of individuals accused of involvement in illegal drugs.
“I decided to leave the country at that time because there were threats to my life and security,” he said.
“Walang basehan ang mga paratang sa akin. Natatakot lang ako sa aking sarili at sa aking pamilya,” he stressed.
In August 2016, Duterte branded Iloilo as the “most shabulized” city, implicating several local government officials, including Mabilog, and others allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade.
Mabilog was one of 158 public officials nationwide listed as “narco-politicians” by the Philippine National Police (PNP), along with 11 other officials from Iloilo.
‘UNFAIRLY ACCUSED’
Mabilog said the Duterte administration has “unfairly accused” him of baseless issues on top of the drug allegations.
In the “most shabulized” tag, Mabilog said he made multiple attempts to meet Duterte and say that the latter’s accusations were “false” and “politically-motivated.”
He even conceived the idea of asking Duterte’s basis and showing him a detailed book compilation of the city’s anti-illegal drug programs.
“I stand that there is no basis for him to accuse me of being a protector of illegal drugs and at the same time calling Iloilo City as the ‘most shabulized’ city,” he said.
Mabilog the accusations of Duterte was a matter of “personal vendetta,” possibly stemming from events during the 2016 presidential campaign.
He recalled not being able to meet Duterte when he visited Iloilo City to ask for his support and a power outage that occurred during Duterte’s political rally in the city. He also pointed out that he supported Liberal Party standard-bearer Mar Roxas in 2016.
“Davao was always compared to Iloilo and Iloilo was always better than Davao during his term as mayor and while I was mayor of Iloilo City,” he added.
NO GUARANTEE OF A FAIR TRIAL
Mabilog believes that despite being the elected city mayor, he would not have been given a fair trial under the Duterte administration, citing the public threats of the former president to kill him.
He said he was waiting for cases to be filed against him as he has the documents that would disprove his links to the illegal drugs.
“I was waiting for cases to be filed against me in terms of these drug-related cases and until now there’s none because they have nothing against me,” he emphasized.
In 2017, Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido was assigned to Iloilo in what was widely viewed as a direct effort to go after Mabilog.
That same year, Duterte ordered a lifestyle check on Mabilog, and after a raid that killed Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., the president warned that Mabilog could be next.
In the same year, the Office of the Ombudsman barred Mabilog from holding public office after he was found “guilty of serious dishonesty related to his unlawful acquisition of wealth.”
The dismissal stemmed from dishonesty and grave misconduct cases filed in 2013.
However, in 2021, the Court of Appeals dismissed the 2013 administrative case and reversed the Ombudsman’s decision for lack of merit.
HOPE IN THE MARCOS ADMIN
When asked why he didn’t return in 2021, Mabilog said they “decided not to return until we could see that conditions were favorable and justice could be served, just like what is happening right now in Congress.”
Mabilog believes the current administration has created conditions that are more favorable to addressing the drug-related accusations against him.
“The Marcos administration has been showing that fairness and it is giving us the opportunity to be able to come back to the Philippines and clear myself,” he said.
Mabilog highlighted that the baseless accusations of the Duterte administration have damaged his reputation and of other mayors listed in the narco-list.
Mabilog said he has no plans to reenter politics yet and that his return to politics is something he will surrender to the will of God.
“Gusto ko pong uwumi sa Pilipinas. For me, that is enough, but in my heart talaga I really want to serve […] All my life, I was always serving others,” he said.
Mabilog clarified that he had not received any offer from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. or House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to run for public office.
He also said he would not be filing charges against Duterte, noting that the cases related to Duterte’s war on drugs pending before the International Criminal Court are already sufficient.
“I think that is good enough but personally, while I experience all this pain and this persecution […] “As a true Christian, I forgive him,” he said.
