Ombudsman dismisses anew ex-Iloilo City mayor Mabilog

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has ordered the dismissal anew of former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog over the alleged anomalous towing services agreement with a private company he allegedly owned in 2015.

In a press statement on Wednesday, the Ombudsman found Mabilog guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

He was meted the accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding public office, cancellation of eligibility, and forfeiture of retirement benefits.

Mabilog was also ordered to pay a fine equivalent to his one year's salary as city mayor.

In April 2014, the city council passed a resolution ordering the use of wheel towing clamps as specified in its towing ordinance.

The council then approved a resolution on February 17, 2015 allowing Mabilog to enter into a memorandum of agreement with 3L Towing Services. The MOA states that 70 percent of the revenue will go to the company while 30 percent would be the local government's share followed by a 65-35 share for the next five years.

It then passed a resolution on February 24, 2015 confirming the MOA. Mabilog, however, ordered the suspension of the memorandum three days later due to "some technical issues."

Three months later, 3L proprietor Leny Garcia then wrote the local chief executive informing him that the MOA was being withdrawn “amidst the legal issues confronting it and submit to legal processes prescribed by laws on government bidding and procurement.”

Then-Councilor Plaridel Nava II, a co-accused in the case, accused Mabilog of owning the towing company and claimed he had financial interests in the MOA.

Nava said, "Mabilog allegedly employed his services to perpetuate and consummate [Mabilog’s] illegitimate, immoral, dishonest and underground acts and transactions with private groups and corporate personalities doing or intending to do business in the city of Iloilo by using his power and influence as the chief executive of the city government."

Futhermore, Nava said Mabilog ordered him to look for a dummy owner and estimate the costs of a towing company involved in clamping services.

Graft investigators found that Mabilog handed P500,000 to Nava as part of his capital contribution to 3L on June 16, 2014. Mabilog also allegedly expedited the processing of the company's business and mayor's permits.

“It is undisputed that respondent entered into a MOA, on behalf of the city government with 3L for the implementation of the city’s clamping ordinance without compliance with any procurement process required under the relevant law for the selection of 3L,” the Ombudsman said in its decision.

The Ombudsman also gave no credence to the contention of Mabilog that Garcia's withdrawal from the MOA "excused" him from any administrative liability.

“The obvious purpose of such withdrawal was to cancel the MOA in an attempt to avoid further scrutiny considering that complainant Manuel Mejorada had already filed the complaint-affidavit almost a month prior to Garcia’s letter of withdrawal,” it said.

Morales ordered the Ombudsman for Visayas to conduct an immediate fact-finding investigation against Nava “as he openly admitted against his own interest, that he was the one who approached Garcia to serve as respondent’s dummy, upon the latter’s earlier instruction, to look for someone they could trust.”

The Ombudsman had earlier indicted Mabilog and his co-accused for graft in the same case. 

Mabilog was first dismissed in October last year after he was found guilty of serious dishonesty for his failure to explain his alleged questionable wealth worth P8.9 million from 2012 to 2013. 

In 2016, President Rodrigo Duterte revealed that Mabilog was on his "narco list" of politicians involved in the illegal drug trade. Mabilog has denied the accusations. —KG, GMA News