Mayor thankful as Duterte notes Iloilo ‘most shabulized’ no more

ILOILO CITY — From “most shabulized” in August last year to medyo wala na (somewhat gone) this year.

After repeatedly criticizing Iloilo City for its purported severe illegal drugs situation, President Rodrigo Duterte’s perception of the city appeared to have improved based on his latest pronouncements.

Speaking at a 50-minute press conference in Malacañang on Monday night, the President noted that the illegal drugs situation in Iloilo had improved.

“Di ba sinabi ko sa ’yo Iloilo was the hotbed? Ngayon medyo wala na, wala na (Didn’t I say that Iloilo was the hotbed [of illegal drugs]? Now it’s somewhat gone),” he told reporters.

The President made the reference to Iloilo in citing that drug lords had been apprehended or killed in the government’s war against illegal drugs.

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, said he was thankful for the President’s statement.

He said the President could have seen the efforts of the local government in the campaign against illegal drugs. He also expressed gratitude to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Philippine National Police and barangay officials for helping in the campaign.

Mabilog was among the officials named by Mr. Duterte last year as among those involved in illegal drugs. But no charges had been filed by the police against the mayor in relation to the President’s accusation.

Mabilog has been aggressive in implementing programs and activities against illegal drugs in the city since the President assumed office. Thousands of village officials in Iloilo and several city councilors joined the administration party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) last week.

In his remarks on Monday, Mr. Duterte also cited the drug links of politicians like Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog of Ozamiz City, who was gunned down along with his wife and 14 others in a police operation last month, and Mayor Rolando Espinosa of Albuera town in Leyte province, who was arrested but was later gunned down by police inside a jail in November last year.

The President also mentioned slain suspected Iloilo drug lord Melvin Odicta and wife Merriam, who were shot and killed by a lone gunman as the couple disembarked from a passenger ship at the Caticlan port in Malay town in Aklan province in August last year.