Mabilog not going home yet – spokesman

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog. NESTOR BURGOS / INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

ILOILO CITY – Beleaguered Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is not going home soon after all.

After denying that he fled to Japan after being the subject of repeated tirades of President Duterte, his spokesperson announced that the mayor will proceed to Malaysia from Japan to speak in an international conference.

Mabilog’s spokesman lawyer Mark Piad said the mayor will attend the United Urban Environment Accords (UEA) Summit 2017 from Sept. 7 to 9.

On Tuesday, Piad told the INQUIRER that Mabilog was expected to return to the country on Wednesday or Thursday after attending a conference of CityNet, a regional network of cities and organizations focusing in sustainable urban development, in Yokohama City in Japan.

He said the mayor could extend his stay in Japan to meet with prospective investors and Ilonggos there but he did not mention the summit in Malaysia.

Piad said he learned of the summit only on Wednesday.

He gave reporters a copy of the authority to travel issued to Mabilog by Austere Panadero, Department of the Interior and Local Government Undersecretary for Local Government. The authorization order was dated August 17.

The UEA is an international organization which focuses on developing the Urban Environmental Evaluation Index.

The summit will be held at the A’Famosa Resort Hotel, Alor Gajah in Melaka State in Malaysia, according to its website.

Mabilog is scheduled to be one of the speakers on “best practices” on September 8. His topic will be on the “Iloilo River,” according to the program.

The President earlier claimed that Mabilog “fled” to Japan where he is living a “luxurious life”.

But a source earlier confirmed to the INQUIRER that Mabilog’s wife Marivic and their two children left the country due to security concerns.

The source said there were reports of tangible threats against the mayor which prompted his wife to leave the country with their children.

The President has repeatedly and publicly accused Mabilog of being a drug protector, an allegation that the mayor has repeatedly denied.