Cebu mayor accused by Duterte of being ‘narco general’ returns to work

MANILA, Philippines — After an extended leave of more than one month, Daanbantayan, Cebu Mayor Vicente Loot, who is accused by President Rodrigo Duterte of being involved in the illegal drug trade, returned to work on Friday.

He announced his return on Facebook in a generic statement in Cebuano that he was happy to be back to work.

The former police superintendent has been on leave since November 18 and was supposed to return mid-December, but asked for an extension to stay in Canada and the United States through the holidays.

Loot is often the subject of Duterte’s speeches when he talks about local officials allegedly involved in drugs. On December 19, Duterte accused Manuel “Mar” Roxas III, an ex-interior secretary and former presidential election rival, of masterminding an ambush that almost killed the mayor.

Duterte said that Loot was ambushed twice but "could not be killed." He further said in Cebuano: "I wasn't the one who ordered his ambush, it was Roxas."

READ: Palace: Duterte comment linking Roxas to ambushes ‘a joke’

"Your [former Deputy Director General Marcelo Jr.] Garbo, your senior police aide is involved in drugs. That’s was why Roxas was irked. He said, 'kill him so we won't get embarrassed."

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo called the accusations against Roxas a “joke," and this was the way Duterte chooses to express his anger against Loot.

One ambush was reported last May in Daanbantayan. While Loot and his family weren’t hurt, his two drivers, and house helpers were injured by gunfire.

Loot had to resort to performing his duties as mayor from undisclosed locations due to threats to his life.

READ: Even if he’s hiding: Loot working as mayor

Philstar.com has reached out to Loot for a statement but has not received a response as of publishing time.

Loot was one of five alleged "narco generals" Duterte named at the beginning of his term in 2016.

The other four officials named by Duterte are  former Quezon City Police District chief Edgardo Tinio, former National Capital Region Police Office chief Superintendent Joel Pagdilao, ex-Western Visayas police Chief Superintendent Bernardo Diaz, and Police Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo Jr.

They all denied their involvement in the drug trade. Despite the allegations, no formal criminal charges have been filed against Loot

Loot, won his first term as mayor in 2016 by a margin of only seven votes against former mayor Augusto Corro.

His name was only one of hundreds of public officials Duterte accused of having drug links. The first list was released in 2016, then the names of 87 mayors and other local officials was released on another list last December 2017.

READ: Mayors, congressmen among 87 on narco list

Among the names on the lists was dismissed Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog, who has not returned to the country after leaving for Canada due to threats to his and his family’s life.

READ: Iloilo 'narco mayor' sacked

Other mayors accused by the president of drug links have wound up dead like fellow Cebu Mayor Mariano Blanco III of Ronda town, who was killed while he was sleeping in his office last September.

READ: Cebu town mayor in Duterte’s narco list slain

Among the first mayors on the list killed was late Albuera town Mayor Rolando Espinosa Junior who was killed while being detained in a Leyte prison in 2016. He was shot for allegedly trying to grab a police officer's gun.

READ: 'Narco mayor' shot dead in jail cell

Also on the list was the late Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog Sr., who was killed along with his wife Susan, brother Octavio Jr. and 12 others in 2017.

READ: Ozamiz mayor, 14 others killed in police raids

Antonio Halili, who was mayor of Tanauan City, Batangas, was shot dead during a morning flag ceremony last July.

READ: ‘Walk of shame’ mayor shot dead