Ex-mayor’s wife lashes out at Duterte over inclusion of husband in word war with senators

(FILES) Former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog (Photo from Facebook page of Iloilo City government)

ILOILO CITY — The wife of former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog has fired back at President Duterte for again linking her husband to illegal drugs.

Reacting to the President’s tirade against Senator Franklin Drilon and her husband aired on September 11, Marivic Mabilog held no punches in defending her husband.

“You brought up Jed’s name again. Do you miss him that much? Sorry, but he’s taken. I am the better choice, er, the best choice,” Marivic said in a Facebook post.

“Is there no chance that your mental illness will be cured?” she said.

The President had launched attacks against Drilon and Senator Richard Gordon who are among those investigating alleged irregularities in the procurement of medical supplies last year.

“Since you have proclaimed yourself and your friends there in the Senate as anti-corruption czars, please enlighten, Mr. Senator. Can you explain to the Filipinos your connection with former Mayor Jed Mabilog and General Garbo? Aren’t they both connected in the illegal drug trade, ‘yung mga tao ninyo noon sa panahon ninyo (your people during (the Aquino administration)?” the President called on Drilon.

Marivic pointed out that Drilon and her husband are (second) cousins.

“They share the same bloodline. You see? Decency, honesty, and the desire for public service run in their blood. Both are not tainted with any proven cases of corruption. You can’t say the same for most of the political clans in the country,” she said.

Marivic also decried the repeated accusations of the President against her husband on his supposed involvement in illegal drugs.

She said law enforcement agencies have exonerated her husband from the President’s allegations.

Mabilog was among the officials named by the President in August 2016 as involved in illegal drugs.

Mabilog has repeatedly denied the allegation but he and his family have not returned to the country due to safety concerns after he attended international conferences in Japan and Malaysia in August 2017.

The President has previously also mentioned Mabilog in his speeches even after the former mayor left the country.

No case related to illegal drugs has been filed against Mabilog more than five years after the President named him along with several other officials of being drug protectors in August 2016.