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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Monday, January 30, 2017
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ILOILO City – Linked by President Rodrigo Duterte to illegal drugs, has Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog been cleared by the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6)?
Sources told Panay News Mabilog’s name was not in PRO-6’s validated list of drug personalities in Western Visayas. But nobody from the PRO-6 would confirm or deny this.
According to a source who asked for anonymity for lack of authority to speak on the matter, the regional police director, Chief Superintendent Jose Gentiles, himself spoke with Mabilog about the validated list.
Reached by Panay News, Gentiles gave a terse reply through text: “I cannot disclose that. Confirm it from the mayor, not from me.”
Mabilog issued the following statement to this paper: “I cannot confirm the report. What I can guarantee (is) that Iloilo City under my leadership is doing its all-out best to fight illegal drugs and run after and clear Iloilo City of drug personalities.”
According to an aide of Mabilog, the mayor was “very happy.”
“Pero it would be best if we hear it straight from General Gentiles,” said the aide who asked not to be named. He did not have clearance to speak on the matter.
As of this writing, none from the PRO-6 would confirm such validated list and if this has reached the Office of the President.
According to Mabilog, “the partnership between the city government and the enforcement agencies is very strong and so far producing very encouraging results.”
President Duterte tagged Mabilog a drug coddler during an Aug. 7, 2016 speech. The mayor denied this.
Days after that, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) created Task Force Agila to investigate Mabilog and other local chief executives that Duterte linked to illegal drugs.
“Wala man may gina-tago si Mayor Jed. He is a good and transparent person. We know that eventually ma-clear si Mayor Mabilog,” said Piad in previous interview.
According to DILG secretary Ismael Sueno, public officials that Duterte named would be considered “persons of interest.”
Aside from Mabilog, other Ilonggo mayors Duterte linked to illegal drugs were Alex Centena of Calinog town, Siegfredo Betita of Carles, and Mariano Malones of Maasin. All denied the President’s allegation.
Just this Jan. 11 during a meeting with mayors in Malacañang, Mabilog was again singled out by the President.
But a mayor from the 2nd District of Iloilo wondered if President Duterte was given erroneous intelligence information about Mabilog.
At one point during the Palace meeting, he said, the President mentioned Mabilog as a relative of slain suspected Iloilo City drug lord Melvin Odicta Sr.
“Nagsalâ sya. Hambal ‘ya kamag-anak ni Mayor Jed si Odicta (He got it wrong. He said Mayor Jed was a relative of Odicta),” the mayor told Panay News.
Mabilog confirmed his colleague’s statement.
“May ginhambal sya nga paryente ko kuno, which is not true. Indi man kami paryentihanay (He said I’m related to Odicta. This isn’t true. We’re not relatives),” said Mabilog.
But because he had been named, Mabilog it was “important to prove to the President that the information he has on me is not true.” (With a report from Ruby Silubrico/PN)
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