Former senators Mar Roxas (left), Franklin Drilon (Facebook)

In an emotiional speech before the House quad-committee (quad-comm) former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog bared on Thursday, Sept. 19 bared an alleged plot to link former senators Mar Roxas and Franklin Drilon to illegal drugs during Rodrigo Duterte's time as president. 

Mabilog--who has spent the last seven years in self-imposed exile in the United States (US)--appeared before the special four-way panel to share his harrowing experiences since 2016 when then-president Duterte included him in his dreaded "narco-list". 

Quad-comm co-chairman, Abang Lingkod Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano had Mabilog identify the "opposition senator and a former presidential candidate" that were supposed to be pinned down on the llegal drugs issue after the latter left them nameless in his affidavit. 

"Can you mention the names?...if I ask you, better you answer yes or no. Is it...former senator Mar Roxas? Is it former senator [Franklin] Drilon, who is your cousin?" asked Paduano. 

Mabilog answered "Yes" to both names. Of the two Liberal Party (LP) fixtures, it was Roxas who ran for the presidency during the 2016 race, which Duterte won. 

"It is all about politics. Kaya yung Duterte's list, again...napakalinaw po na it [did not go] through vetting and validation. Pag kalaban ka sa pulitika, nasa listahan ka," Paduano said in reaction to Mabilog' revelation. 

(Again, the Duterte list...it's very clear that it did not go through vetting and validation. If you are a political enemy, you get included on the list.) 

For the ex-Iloilo mayor, the narco-list was a a virtual "hit list" during the Duterte administration's war on drugs. 

"Una po sa lahat (First of all), I declare that I was not and never will be a drug protector! I don’t know personally nor did I benefit in any way from any illegal drug personality in Iloilo or anywhere else," Mabilog told the quad-comm. 

Despite this, he admitted to the solons that he feared for his life and that of his loved ones. 
 

'They will kill you'

This fear came to a head on Aug. 28, 2017, when he said he received an unexpected call from former Philippine National Police (PNP) Regional Director Bernardo Diaz. 

"He invited me to meet with PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa, now senator, at Camp Crame, Quezon City, at noon the following day. The next morning, on Aug. 29, I arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) at 10 a.m., ready to proceed [to a speaking engagement to Japan]," Mabilog said. 

"At around 5 p.m., a PNP colonel called me in a voice that sent shivers down my spine, literal po ‘yon (that's literal), warned me not to go to Camp Crame because my life was in danger. 

"The fear that had been simmering now erupted, soon after, at 6:30 p.m, my wife Marivic received a chilling text from a PNP colonel’s wife, 'Do not proceed, there are 20 men surrounding your house. And if you go to Camp Crame, they will kill you,'" narrated Mabilog. 

Former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog gets emotional before the quad-comm  (Speaker’s office)

"The terror was paralyzing, I couldn’t believe it. My life and my family’s life was hanging by a thread," said Mabilog, who took a deep breath to compose himself. His arms were already shaking. 

"The next day, on the Aug. 30, I took the first flight out to Japan not knowing if I will ever return. Upon arrival, I received a message from General Diaz, to call a number. Using a public payphone, I made the call and spoke to General Bato who expressed his sympathy.  He was talking to me in Bisaya," he said. 

Dela Rosa coaxes Mabilog to go home

Mabilog quoted Dela Rosa as saying, "Mayor naaawa ako sayo, tutulungan kita, inosente ka (Mayor, I pity you, I will help you, you're innocent)." 

"His words brought a brief moment of hope. I told him I would finish my work abroad and return to meet him, but he urged me to be careful, repeating his pledge to help.  It’s just after that call my Philippine cellphone rang, this time it was another general, his voice was grim: Mayor, do not return, your life is in danger," he recounted. 

"The accusations against you are all fabricated, but if you go to Crame, you’ll be forced to point fingers to an opposition senator and a former presidential candidate as drug lords," !Mabilog said. 

In the end, he chose not to give in to Dela Rosa's coaxing. Dela Rosa was the PNP chief during the launch of Duterte’s aggressive drug war.
 

Campaign 'brownout' led to narco-list tagging? 

In his affidavit, Mabilog branded his narco-list tagging as undeserved, if not downright a farce. 

"Despite my hard work and dedication to public service, I was unjustly and baselessly included in former president Duterte's so-called narco-list. This inclusion was made without any evidence, investigation, or due process," the document read. 

Mabilog told the quad-comm that he made several attempts to speak to then-president Duterte just for ask him directly why he was tagged. While the ex-mayor never got the chance to speak to the chief executive, he had his suspicions. 

"There are several instances that could probably lead to this. Number one...is I am a relative or second cousin of then-senator Frank Drilon," he said during the interpellation of Surigao del Sur 2nd district Rep. Johnny Pimentel. 

"Number two is nagkaroon ng rally sa Iloilo City during the campaign...nagkaroon sila po ng brownout and isinisisi po sa mayor, sa akin po, your honor, added Mabilog. 

(Number from is that a brownout struck a campaign rally [of Duterte] in Iloilo City and it was blamed on me, the mayor, your honor.) 

"Third po, there was an attempt before na gusto niyo po na makipagkita sakin before during the campaign," he said, referring to Duterte. 

(Third, there was an attempt before that he wanted to see me during the campaign.) 

"Unfortunately I was not able to meet him because I was on official travel to Manila for a big project," he said. 

Early in his term as president, Duterte declared Iloilo as the "most shabulized" city in the country. 

Family ties?

Mabilog surmised that his family ties to Drilon have been one of the reasons why Duterte repeatedly accused him as a narco-politician.

“I am a relative of then Sen. Frank Drilon,” said Mabilog, a second cousin of Drilon, who also hails from Iloilo City.

“Actually, I made several attempts to meet then President Duterte to ask bakit ako naisama sa lista,” Mabilog said in response to a question by Pimentel.

(Actually, I made several attempts to meet then President Duterte to ask why ny name was included in the list)

“Never ko siya naka usap.  So, gumawa nalang ako ng assumptions ko for what these reasons are,” Mabilog added.

(I never takled to him. So, I assumed the reasons)

'An opportunity to clear my name'

Mabilog urged Congress to hold accountable those who abuse their power for personal and political gain. 

“No individual should be able to wield such unchecked authority regardless of their position or power,” he said. 

"Accusations must be duly validated and authenticated first before any public announcement to avoid shaming and destroying the honor, reputation, and good image of a hardworking and innocent person," he added. 

"Maraming salamat sa quad-committee na ito dahil nabigyan ako ng pagkakataon na linisin ang aking pangalan at ng minamahal kong Iloilo,” Mabilog further said. 

(Thanks to this quad-comm, I was given the opportunity to clear my name as well as my beloved Iloilo.) (with a report from Tara Yap)