ILOILO CITY – Former Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog acknowledged Rep. Julienne “JamJam” Baronda here for helping him during the dark days, the time when he was constantly threatened by former President Rodrigo Duterte as an alleged narco-politician and his return to the country to clear his name.
“Congresswoman JamJam Baronda was there since Day 1,” said Mabilog.
FORMER Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog with Rep. Julienne ‘JamJam’ Baronda during his recent homecoming to the city after seven years of exile. (Tara Yap)
Mabilog finally confirmed what his wife Marivic disclosed on Facebook days after his September 10 arrival in the country after seven years of exile in the United States.
The former mayor recounted how Baronda – a private citizen at that time – was able to help Marivic and their son Nathan fly safely out of the country late in August 2017.
This was the time when Duterte stepped up the death threats against Mabilog in televised speeches.
“She was there for us on that fateful day,” Mabilog recalled.
At that time, Mabilog was in Japan as speaker in an international disaster conference.
It was also in Japan when Mabilog decided not to return to the country after a high-ranking police officer called him to warn him that his life and his family’s life was in danger.
Mabilog thanked Baronda for facilitating his appearance in the congressional quad-committee hearing on Thursday, September 19.
“Salamat kay Congresswoman JamJam Baronda. Siya nag hatag sa akon sang motivation nga mag pauli (Thanks to Congresswoman JamJam Baronda. She motivated me to come home),” Mabilog said.
Baronda said in a quad-committee hearing on August 16 that Mabilog should be given a chance to shed light on what happened to him and Iloilo City which she said was unfavorably tagged by Duterte as the “most shabulized” city in the country.
Mabilog refused to comment when asked by the Iloilo media if Mayor Jerry Treñas – who was congressman during the Duterte administration – supported him during those dark times in 2017
Treñas said he tried to help Mabilog that time by approaching then House Speaker Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez, a fraternity brother.
Mabilog’s return was seen as a new development in the political landscape of Iloilo City, especially when Treñas broke ties with Baronda after Treñas announced the candidacy of his daughter Raisa to replace her as congresswoman in the May 2025 elections.