ILOILO CITY — Former Iloilo City mayor Jed Mabilog expressed optimism that he will receive justice from the alleged baseless accusations made by former president Rodrigo Duterte that he is a "drug protector." "I believe that under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., I will be given justice and also my family," he said in a press conference with the Iloilo media on Friday. Mabilog, who was celebrating his 59th birthday, returned to the city after seven years of exile abroad. The former mayor said that in the present administration, there is "balance and fairness in the treatment of everyone and there is no abuse of authority." He also said that accused individuals are given due process, saying, "Investigations are conducted properly and everyone is given a chance to speak." Mabilog noted that witnessing these changes under the Marcos administration motivated him to return to the country and share his side of the story. During the quad committee hearing at the Congress on Thursday, Mabilog recounted how the Duterte administration allegedly plotted to assassinate him in 2017. He also said that he was forced to name former Senate president Franklin Drilon and former Interior secretary and presidential candidate Mar Roxas to have links in the illegal drugs trade, in exchange for the removal of his name in Duterte's so-called narco-list. Mabilog said campaigning against illegal drugs is good but stressed that local government officials have to be equipped with knowledge to address illegal drug issues effectively. "We should prepare these officials from the ground up and equip them with substantial knowledge to deal in the campaign against illegal drugs, and it should not be blamed on others or used to destroy political opponents," he said. Mabilog noted that the 2016 elections was one of the reasons why he was targeted by Duterte because he supported Roxas in the presidential elections. He also reflected on his tenure as city mayor, noting that training for local chief executives focused on good governance, public service, and disaster resilience, but lacked emphasis on police enforcement and the campaign against illegal drugs. He pointed out that, according to the local government code, the mayor's role in the anti-drug campaign is primarily policymaking, while enforcement is the responsibility of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). "Although there is administrative power over the police, the PNP and PDEA are the primary agencies in charge of enforcement and the mayor has to totally rely on them," he said. PHOTO: 415202
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