FORMER Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog is expected to be invited to the House Quad Comm hearing to shed light on his alleged involvement in illegal drugs, a claim made by former President Rodrigo Duterte.

The House Quad Committee, set to resume hearing on September 19, is currently looking into the alleged interconnected issues involving Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), illegal drugs, money laundering, and extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the Duterte administration.

It can be recalled that Mabilog left his constituents and the country in 2017 after Duterte included him in the drug watch list, accusing him of protecting drug syndicates in Iloilo City.

Duterte also labeled Iloilo City as the most “shabulized” city in the country under Mabilog’s leadership.

Now with Duterte no longer in office, Mabilog decided to return to the country, hoping for a fairer treatment under the current administration.

However, Mabilog is not out of the woods yet, as the Department of Justice (DOJ) still plans to scrutinize his alleged involvement in illegal drugs.

“I think it’s just right that we ask him these questions about his being in the drugs watch list and to give his side on it,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said.

In addition to the drug allegations, Mabilog faces graft charges before the Sandiganbayan over his alleged intervention in awarding a government contract to a towing services firm where he has an interest in.

During his self-imposed exile, Mabilog was ordered dismissed by Office of the Ombudsman having found him “guilty of serious dishonesty” relative to his unlawful acquisition of wealth.

Remulla earlier claimed that Mabilog returned to the country to regain his old post, noting that he came back just three weeks before the filing of certificates of candidacy for the 2025 national and local elections.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Jester P. Manalastas