Mabilog says 'general' warned vs. Crame visit; Bato says 'incredible'

Former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog said he decided against returning to the country from a speaking engagement in Japan due to threats on his life in 2017.

Before the joint hearing of the four House committees looking into among others the conduct of the war on drugs during the administration of then-President Rodrigo Duterte, Mabilog said he was supposed to meet then-PNP chief Ronald Dela Rosa when he got a phone call from a person he called a general.

"I made a call and spoke to General Bato who expressed his sympathy. He was talking to me in Bisaya. He told me he knew I was innocent, that I wasn't involved in illegal drugs, and he promised to help me,” Mabilog told the House quadcomm inquiry.

“Just after that call, my Philippine cellphone rang. This time, it was another general. His voice was grim: ‘Mayor, do not return. Your life is in danger. The accusations against you are all fabricated, but if you go to Crame, you’ll be forced to point fingers to an opposition senator and a former presidential candidate as drug lords,’” he added. 

Mabilog revealed that he was referring to former senators Mar Roxas II and Franklin Drilon, his second cousin.

Sought for comment, Dela Rosa, a senator since 2019, indicated that it was "incredible" for him to summon Mabilog to Camp Crame to be killed. The camp houses the national headquarters of the Philippine National Police.

"Before Mayor Jed Mabilog disappeared, tumawag sya sa akin at very much worried daw sya for his safety. I told him: so far ang pagkakilala ko sa iyo mabait ka na mayor at tumutulong ka sa anti-drug efforts ng PNP," Dela Rosa said.

"'Di bale kung takot ka, pumunta ka dito sa akin sa Crame and I can assure you walang mangyayari sa iyo. Kukumbinsihin ko si presidente na matino ka na tao. Sabi nya, 'Yes sir pupunta ako dyan.' Later on, tumawag sya ulit sa akin na hindi na daw sya pupunta sa akin kasi may nag advise daw sa kanya," he added.

"Hindi ko lang sure kung sinabihan nya ako na lilipad na sya papuntang Japan or natanggap ko na lang ang info na yan later…… very incredible naman yun na papuntahin ko sya sa Camp Crame para patayin?"

(Before Mayor Jed Mabilog disappeared, he called me and said he was very much worried for his safety. I told him I know of you to be a kind mayor and that you help the PNP's anti-drug efforts. If you're scared, just come here in Crame and I can assure you nothing will happen to you. I will convince the president that you are a good person. He said, Ýes sir, I will go there.' Later on, he called again saying that he wouldn't come to see me because someone advised him not to. I'm not really sure if he told me that he was flying to Japan or if I just received that information later... It's really incredible that I would send him to Camp Crame to be killed?)

GMA News Online has sought comment from the camp of the former president as regards Mabilog's allegations.

Mabilog said that he decided not to go back to the Philippines from an international speaking engagement in Japan in 2017 due to the threats. 

“Paulit-ulit ang pagbabanta ni Presidente Duterte sa media, harap-harapang sinasabi ipapapatay daw ako…at alam po nating lahat hindi lamang ito basta-bastang pagbabanta. Kayang kaya niya pong totohanin ito,” Mabilog said, showing several video clips of Duterte threatening him in public. 

(President Duterte repeatedly threatens me in front of the media, saying that he will have me killed... and we all know that this is not just a threat. He can really make it happen.) 

Mabilog told the inquiry that his name was included in the narcolist because he did not support Duterte in the 2016 elections. According to Mabilog, Roxas got the highest vote in the presidential race in Iloilo back then.

“Yes your honor, kasi ang resulta po ng elections na ‘yun [the result of that elections was that], President Rodrigo Duterte got only 13.7% in the total number of votes in Iloilo City which is his lowest percentage votes all over the country,” he said when asked by Surigao del Sur 2nd District Rep. Johnny Pimentel.

He said he chose back then to proceed to the United States and apply for political asylum. 

Mabilog landed at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on September 10 and surrendered to operatives of the National Bureau of Investigation-National Capital Region (NBI-NCR) and the International Airport Investigation Division.

The NBI said that he “sought ‘political asylum’ from the government of the United States of America and was indeed granted.” 

Mabilog on Thursday stood firm that he was never involved in the illegal drug trade, claiming that the accusations against him by the former president were all “baseless” and “fabricated.” 

The former mayor, who was included in Duterte’s drug watch list in 2016, became emotional as he appeared for the first time in a joint hearing of the four committees of the House of Representatives to air his side of the story. 

“Ito na siguro ang tamang pagkakataon na malaya akong kukuha ng lakas ng loob at magsasalita ng katotohanan kahit ako pa ay natatakot at may pangamba sa aking buhay,” he said. 

(Maybe this is the right time for me to take courage and freely tell the truth even though I am still afraid and have fears for my life.) 

“Una sa lahat [first of all], I declare that I was not, and never will be a drug protector. I don't know personally nor did I benefit in any way from any illegal drug personality in Iloilo or anywhere else.”

The former mayor said that during his tenure, he implemented anti-illegal drug activities, campaigns, and policies, knowing that there were existing drug groups in Iloilo City. However, he said all these efforts were “ignored” by the Duterte administration.

Until the present, he said that there are no drug-related cases that have been filed in legal courts against him. —Giselle Ombay and Hana Bordey/NB, GMA Integrated News