ILOILO CITY – Despite a petition before the Supreme Court for nullification, former Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog here expressed confidence on the legality of the presidential pardon granted to him.
MABILOG (Tara Yap)
“I trust in the integrity and wisdom of the officials who reviewed my case,” said Mabilog in a statement in his official Facebook page.
Mabilog noted that the executive clemency issued by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. was signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, a former Chief Justice. “The decision was made following established legal procedures,” added Mabilog.
The executive clemency granted Jan. 15, 2025 reversed the 2017 Ombudsman ruling of perpetual disqualification against Mabilog when the then mayor was found guilty of serious dishonesty and grave misconduct over his alleged unexplained wealth.
Former city councilor Plaridel Nava II filed a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of the executive clemency.
Nava, who was disbarred as a lawyer by the Supreme Court in 2020, claimed that the presidential pardon encroached the mandate of the Ombudsman.
“If there is anyone who should be asked about the legality or validity of this grant, it should be the Executive Secretary, not me,” said Mabilog. “For me, the clemency is final and is the sole prerogative of the President,” added Mabilog.
Nava is a former political ally of Mabilog. He is also Mabilog’s co-accused in an ongoing graft case before the Sandiganbayan over an alleged anomalous towing contract.