Mabilog family not endorsing any mayoral bet

The family of former mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is not endorsing any candidate for Iloilo City’s mayoral post in the 2019 elections.

“Categorically and under our current circumstances, we have not and will not be endorsing any candidate for mayor,” former first lady Maria Victoria “Marivic” Mabilog said in her latest Facebook post.

Two of former mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog’s political allies – incumbent Mayor Jose “Joe” Espinosa III and Congressman Jerry Trenas – are joining the mayoral race.

“Several good friends had been trying to get our endorsements for either Jerry or Joe.  Both are good friends of Jed, but I have my personal take on the two of them too,” Marivic said.

She admitted that she was “aghast” and “offended” by the “silence” and “non-involvement” of Espinosa and Trenas when President Rodrigo Duterte was throwing tirades against her husband.

Marivic believed that Espinosa and Trenas “knew that Jed was wrongly and unjustly accused and crucified.”

“One friend explained to me that [the two] also feared that the President may turn his guns on them. That’s a reasonable fear. I was ok with that,” Marivic said.

“What I was not ok with: neither one of them bothered to reach out and personally assured Jed that they are one with him in this fight and will work and pray with him so that truth and justice will prevail,” she lamented.

According to Marivic, Espinosa and Trenas’ “silence and apparent lack of empathy speak volumes about their character, particularly the advancement of their own personal interests.”

“These are some of my personal reasons why I cannot allow our family to endorse neither candidate,” she said.

Marivic said she is leaving it up to the “intelligent voters of Iloilo City” to “determine whom of the two can best serve the city.”

“With or without our endorsement, one candidate will win, anyway. In the next three years, Iloilo City will survive well under Jerry or Joe,” she said.

Jed Patrick was one of the local officials accused by Duterte of having links with the illegal drug trade.

He repeatedly denied the President’s accusations.

The former mayor flew to Japan on August 30, 2017 and from then on he did not return to the city. His whereabouts remain unknown.

Marivic and their two children also left the country for security reasons.

Jed Patrick was dismissed from service by the Ombudsman in October 2017 for his alleged unexplained wealth.

His second dismissal order in connection with the alleged anomalous towing deal was issued in January this year.

SOURCE: Iloilo Metropolitan Times

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