Palace: Duterte not singling out Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte is not singling out Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog, Malacañang said Monday, after he warned the local official against protecting drug lords.

 

Duterte has advised Mabilog to cut his supposed ties with drug syndicates after naming controversial policeman Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido as police chief of Iloilo City.

 

The president even asked whether Mabilog would still live, noting that the mayors of Espenido’s previous assignment areas have died. Mabilog has been accused of protecting drug lords but he denied the allegation.

 

READ: Espenido's next stop: Iloilo City

 

“I don’t think there’s any need to single out Mabilog in that sense, but it is simply part of the president’s overall campaign against illegal drugs,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said.

 

Espenido oversaw the operations that resulted in the death of Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog last month. He was also the police chief of Albuera, Letye when its mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. was arrested and subsequently killed inside his prison cell.

 

Like Mabilog, Espinosa and Parojinog were included in the list of politicians with alleged links to illegal drugs.

 

Mabilog has welcomed Espenido’s appointment and has vowed to work with the police to curb illegal drugs in his city.

 

Abella said Espenido would be part of the “whole government” approach against illegal drugs, which include prevention and rehabilitation of users.

 

He reiterated that the government’s crackdown on illegal drugs would uphold human rights.  

 

“We call on our people to unite with the state in our campaign against drugs through both police action and drug prevention and rehab with full respect for human rights and the rule of law, which is the pledge of the president,” Abella said.