BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – Former mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog denied that his house in Barangay Tap-oc, Molo district, which former President Rodrigo Duterte described as a “palace” and “more grandiose” than Malacañang, was acquired using ill-gotten wealth.
In a press briefing yesterday, Mabilog clarified that their property was legally obtained when his wife, Marivic, sold their house in Canada and used the proceeds to build their controversial house in Barangay Tap-oc.
He said the property was declared in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), prepared by his wife. She is a Canadian resident who has worked as a businesswoman and accountant abroad for many years.
“Ginbaligya ang balay sa Canada kay gusto sang asawa ko nga mapuli diri nga mag-upod na kami nga isa ka pamilya,” said Mabilog.
Marivic’s earnings have been cited as a significant source of income for the family, and both she and her husband have consistently maintained that their wealth, including the house in Barangay Tap-oc, was legally obtained.
“Nag-eskwela na siya gani, nag-enroll na siya sa law, second year na siya. And balay nga ginbaligya niya amo ato ang ginpapatindog diri kag gindeklarar namon sang husto sa amon nga SALN,” said Mabilog.
He stressed they declared up to the last centavo of their earnings in their SALN.
“Indi ato ill-gotten wealth kundi pinangabudlayan sang asawa ko sa Canada,” he added.
Likewise, Mabilog admitted they owned several franchises of Mang Inasal food chains.
“May apat kami ka tienda sang Mang Inasal sa Laguna, Santa Rosa kag ang opisina lang ang ari diri kaya para nga ang taxes sang kita didto madiretso, makabulig sa syudad,” said Mabilog.
He clarified that they are a middle-class family, and not rich.
“We were just living as a simple middle-class family. We were not rich. Lantawa ninyo bala ang balay kay kon layo, kon didto sa Esplanade te dako eh, pero kon ari kamo diri, wala unod,” said Mabilog.
Mabilog, who fled the country in 2017 after being linked to illegal drugs by former President Rodrigo Duterte, was dismissed from office by the Office of the Ombudsman due to allegations of P8.98 million in unexplained wealth.
The Court of Appeals (CA) initially affirmed Mabilog’s dismissal from service and perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
In 2021, however, the appeals court reversed the lifetime ban of Mabilog from public office, and absolved him in an administrative case relative to accusations of ill-gotten wealth.
The CA called out the Ombudsman for ignoring evidence that explained the net worth increase, saying there was “no plausible explanation” to ignore the 2013 tax returns of Mabilog.
The appellate court gave weight to Mabilog’s 2013 tax returns, which were accompanied by an affidavit of attestation executed by Mabilog’s wife and a certificate of authentication issued by the Philippine vice-consul in Canada.
“Absent any intent to commit a wrong and having accounted for the source of the ‘unexplained wealth,’ one cannot be adjudged guilty of dishonesty,” the CA ruling stated.
Mabilog, who served as Iloilo City’s mayor from 2010 to 2017, arrived in the city yesterday morning after he went into US exile for seven years./PN
