ILOILO City – “Kinahanglan ko magpakanubo.”
He needed to humble himself. So said Jeffrey Celiz, former activist-turned-military whistleblower. He issued a public apology yesterday to local media outlets and practitioners for his “excessive attacks” when he was the spokesperson of then mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.
In an interview over DYRI RMN Iloilo on Tuesday, Celiz acknowledged his “wrongful and excessive political actions” against the media critical of his them boss.
“Ginabaton ko, no matter how intimidating or irritating ang mga komentaryo sa RMN, Bombo, Aksyon, Panay News, Daily Guardian, indi ini worth it para magkadto sa level sang personal attack,” said Celiz.
To defend the Mabilog administration that then faced various issues from illegal drugs to graft and corruption, Celiz used a radio blocktime program which he also used to counterattack the media.
Particularly, Celiz apologized to the late Panay News founder and editor-in-chief Danny Fajardo, broadcasters John Paul Tia, Jocel Bañas, Jun Capulot, John Sapio, Eric John Pamplona, and Don Dolido.
He, however, denied being behind the toxic Facebook page and blog Adobo Ilonggo that spread black propaganda against the local media while glorifying Mabilog.
“Adobo Ilonggo was an excessive political dirty machinery nga indi dapat gina-obra,” he said.
But Celiz fudged when pressed if he knew the people behind it.
“I cannot directly pinpoint Mayor Mabilog regarding Adobo Ilonggo,” he added, although he did not discount the possibility that the then mayor may have “compartmentalized” teams defending him, including social media operatives.
Celiz also hoped that the “dirty political landscape” in Iloilo City, like the conflict between businessman Rommel Ynion who ran for mayor and Mabilog, would never happen again.
The media, he said, was caught in the crossfire.
Ynion welcomed Celiz’s pronouncement. He posted on Facebook: “When I fought Mayor Jed Mabilog in 2011 to 2013, I sacrificed P300 million of my personal wealth, my mental, emotional and physical health, and most of all, my time for my family. I risked everything because of only one reason: I loved my fellow Ilonggos.”
In fighting Mabilog, according to Ynion, his purpose was to expose corruption at city hall, illegal drugs syndicates and hypocrisy.
“Many Ilonggos couldn’t believe me. But now, I think I am vindicated. Time has proven me right. Jeffrey Celiz has surfaced and validated the statements I made against his former boss,” according to Ynion.
In his “war” against Mabilog, Ynion said he “made enemies out of people around him.”
“They protected Mabilog and supported black propaganda against me,” he lamented.
But that was the past, Ynion stressed.
“Let us move on and perhaps, learn how to forgive one another. The emergence of Jeffrey Celiz out of the woodwork can be a start of the healing process. After all, we are not fighting against one another. We are fighting for what we believe is best for Iloilo City,” according to Ynion.
For his part, Celiz – now a government consultant for peace and security – said, “Sa aton pag–usoy sa banas sang kabuhi, naga-abot ang mga bagay nga may sala nga decision. Kinahanglan kilalanon mo ini nga leksyon kag balikan mo sang redemption.”
Celiz formerly headed the cause-oriented group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Panay Island. He surfaced last month after activist Lean Porquia, son of slain Ilonggo activist Jory Porquia, “outed” him on Facebook as the “Ka Eric Almendras” whom Major General Antonio Parlade Jr., chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Southern Luzon Command, presented in Metro Manila as witness to back up a claim that a sister of actress Angel Locsin, Angela “Ella” Colmenares, was an NPA rebel./PN