Jed Patrick Mabilog’s wife calls Duterte ‘a liar’

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Former mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, who was included in the list of narco-politicians, has chosen to remain silent but his wife Marivic called President Duterte a “serial liar.”

In her Facebook post, Marivic attacked Duterte, describing the President as a “scheming con-man” following her husband’s inclusion in the list of officials suspected of involvement in the illegal drug trade.

“He (Duterte) never gets tired of his pathetic and redundant tirades. Grow up and get off those fentanyl and meth clouds. Idiot. And the country’s biggest liar, too,” Marivic said.

Marivic claimed Duterte needed the “made-up list” to stay relevant.

“Without his drug war, Duterte is nothing. We (are) not worried about Jed’s reputation because we know the truth. No one can ever hide from the truth. This is why Duterte hates Jed so much. The more he tarnishes Jed, the more he magnified his own lies and shortcomings,” she said.

Marivic’s tirades continued as she posted another statement, questioning Duterte’s track record as Davao City mayor.

From 2010-2016, Marivic said both Duterte and Mabilog were mayors.

“While Jed was working hard for the eradication of the drug menace and getting results, Digong was hardly working in Davao. While Iloilo was cited as the third drug infected city, Davao had one of the worst record in drug trade and use in the country,” she said.

Marivic then challenged Duterte to furnish the media the validated list and the sources of his data, properly validated by the reporting agencies, if his narco-list is indeed verified.

“You have never brought any drug-related case against Jed because you have nothing on him. Despite having the full control and disposal of intelligence funds and resources, you came up empty against Jed. Nada. Zero. Zilch,” she said.

Instead, the President has resorted to lies and fabrication, which his own agencies have allegedly consistently rebutted, Marivic said.

“You think that by continually shaking him and lying about him will do him damage. But Jed’s shield and armor are the truths you refuse to acknowledge. The harder you hit the truth, the more sparkling and stronger it becomes,” she said.

Marivic vowed to continue speaking against Duterte. “Amidst Duterte’s vigorous verbal assaults on my family’s integrity, I cannot reasonably be expected to keep my silence. I cannot imitate the silence of the fence-sitters and pragmatists, I cannot and will not stand idly by at the rape of the Philippines,” she said.

Duterte had accused Mabilog of being a drug protector in 2016. No charges were filed against the mayor but the Office of the Ombudsman had him removed from office the following year over alleged unexplained wealth.

Last Thursday, Duterte read out the names of the 46 so-called narco-politicians, consisting of 35 mayors, seven vice mayors, three congressmen and one provincial board member.

Leyte’s third district representative Vicente Veloso, one of the three congressmen named in the list, said he wants to talk personally to the President on why he was included.

Veloso said he is not seeking reelection. He just wanted to clear his name and reputation in seeking audience with the President.

Veloso, a former National Labor Relations Commission member and associate justice of the Court of Appeals, said he could not be a “narco-politician” as he just won in 2016 and served only one term in office.

While at the Court of Appeals, Veloso said he never handled drug cases.

Veloso said his inclusion in the list has affected his reputation and his family.

Mayor Jamar Abdulla Mansul of Hadji Muhtamad, Basilan, just shrugged off his inclusion in the list.

“I will leave it all to Allah because I have not been involved in drugs,” Mansul said.

In fact, Mansul said he was even leading the advocacy in supporting the war on drugs in his island town.

On the other hand, a mayoralty candidate of San Rafael, Bulacan dared the incumbent mayor Cipriano Violago to file charges against him after he was included in the narco-list.

Violago had claimed politics was behind his alleged involvement in drugs.

He accused former police chief Francisco Villaroman of being behind his inclusion in the list.

Violago believed Villaroman managed to convince the President to include his name in the narco-list in the effort to hinder his reelection bid.

He said Villaroman served as chief security officer of Duterte during the last presidential election.

Villaroman denied the accusation made by Violago and dared him to seek legal remedies to prove his accusations. – With Miriam Desacada, Ramon Efren Lazaro, Roel Pareño