Dela Rosa says Mabilog’s quad comm testimony part of ‘demolition job’

Victoria Tulad

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1726820404419BATO AND MABILOG 09202024.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Sen. Ronald " Dela="" Rosa="" and="" former="" Iloilo="" City="" mayor="" Jed="" Mabilog.="" Mark="" ABS-CBN="" News=""/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Sen. Ronald &quot;Bato&quot; Dela Rosa and former Iloilo City mayor Jed Mabilog. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA -- Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa asserted Friday that the testimony of former Iloilo City mayor Jed Mabilog before the House of Representatives quadruple committee was part of a “demolition job”.</p><p>In his first appearance in the quad comm on Thursday, Mabilog said he received information that he would be forced to point to former Senators Franklin Drilon and Mar Roxas as drug lords. Mabilog added that he received threats to his and his family’s lives after former President Rodrigo Duterte branded him as a protector of the narcotics trade even without proof. </p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/19/mabilog-reveals-alleged-plan-to-force-him-to-tag-roxas-drilon-as-drug-lords-1111">Mabilog reveals alleged 2017 plan to force him to tag Roxas, Drilon as &#x27;drug lords&#x27;</a></div><p>Dela Rosa, who oversaw Duterte&#x27;s drug war as former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), alleged that the House probe was a &quot;fishing expedition.&quot;</p><p>“Demolition job [itp] para masira kaming lahat at hihina si VP Sara [Duterte] sa 2028… Fishing expedition, paghahanap ng mga kasalanan ni Duterte at kanyang mga associates,” Dela Rosa said. </p><p>Dela Rosa said there was no information that Drilon and Roxas were ever involved in illegal drugs.</p><p> “Wala akong info. At wala tayong basis na ipapaturo siya at saka hindi naman ugali natin ipapaturo bakit naman ganun? Ipapaturo ko ‘yung mga tao na matitino?” the senator said.</p><p><span data-teams="true" id="isPasted"></span>He said Duterte never ordered him to put anyone, even his political opponents, in the drug list.</p><div><iframe width="1100" height="619" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VLcjVxZFWSs" title="Mabilog reveals alleged 2017 plan to force him to tag Roxas, Drilon as &#x27;drug lords&#x27;" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>Dela Rosa called on Mabilog to name the general who supposedly told him about the plot against the two former officials.</p><p>ABS-CBN News is still trying to get the side of Roxas and Drilon, who is Mabilog’s second cousin.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/11/ex-mayor-mabilog-posts-bail-upon-return-to-ph-1603">Ex-mayor Mabilog posts bail upon return to PH</a></div><div>  </div><div><strong>HELP FOR MABILOG</strong></div><div> </div><p>Dela Rosa confirmed that he was supposed to meet Mabilog in Camp Crame before but the latter cancelled their appointment and fled to the United States.</p><p>The senator said deemed Mabilog as a decent percent and wanted to help Mabilog clear his name with Duterte.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/12/bucor-exec-recalls-congrats-from-voice-of-rodrigo-duterte-on-deaths-of-3-chinese-inmates-1523" id="isPasted">Ex-Davao prison warden links Rodrigo Duterte to killing of 3 Chinese inmates</a></div><p> “Sabi ko kung takot ka punta ka dito sa Crame at ako ang bahala sayo safe ka dito walang mangyayari sayo &#x27;pag andito ka. At kukumbinsihin ko si President Duterte na disente ka na tao, matino ka,” he explained.</p><p> “Mabait siya tingin ko. Mukhang di naman siya siraulo, di naman siya loko loko.”</p><p> According to Dela Rosa, Mabilog was included in the drugs watchlist allegedly because of his association to a certain city hall employee who frequently met with the drug lord Melvin Odicta. Odicta and his wife were gunned down in 2016.<br/><br/><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/25/16/iloilos-most-wanted-dragon-denies-ties-to-drugs">Iloilo&#x27;s most wanted &#x27;Dragon&#x27; denies ties to drugs</a><br/><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/08/29/16/watch-who-was-melvin-odicta">WATCH: Who was Melvin Odicta?</a><br/><br/></p><div><iframe width="1100" height="619" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Yhsv3_mx3Ik" title="&#x27;Durog na durog&#x27;: Mabilog breaks down in tears as he recalls &#x27;narco list&#x27; ordeal at House probe" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><div><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><strong>WHAT QUAD COMM LEADERS SAY </strong></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">House Quad Comm Lead Co-Chair Rep. Robert Ace Barbers denied that House Speaker Martin Romualdez is behind the supposed “demolition job” against the Vice President, given their possible rivalry in the 2028 presidential polls. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Walang demolition job ang quad comm. Ang mandato ng quad comm, imbestigahan ‘yung mga issue of national importance… Wala hong political d’yan,” he said. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Wala namang direct testimonies or evidence that would name personalities, especially Vice President Sara Duterte. Wala namang ganoon. ‘Yung mga nag-iisip niyan, hindi ko alam kung saan galing ‘yun,” he added.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">He said the panel was open  to witnesses like Mabilog, who are willing to execute an affidavit. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The quad comm “will not be abated,” said its co-chairperson Rep. Dan Fernandez. </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“The people deserve nothing but the truth and nothing less. Let the evidences lead us to wherever it takes us,” he said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>VERIFICATION</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police said it would Mabilog&#x27;s <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">statements. </span></p><p>PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said it was the first time she heard the supposed revelations of Mabilog. She said the PNP would reach out to the camp of the former mayor.  </p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/4/bucor-official-aware-of-plan-to-kill-3-alleged-chinese-drug-lords-in-davao-prison-in-2016-1609" id="isPasted">BuCor official aware of 2016 plan to kill 3 alleged Chinese drug lords in Davao prison </a></div><p>Fajardo added that the PNP would remain apolitical and unbiased in its probe. </p><div><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">&quot;First time ko narinig itong mga revelation kahapon at makikipag-ugnayan ang PNP. Again lahat ng lumalabas na information ngayon are all subject for validation and verification,&quot; she said. </span></div><div><strong>- With a report from Raya Capulong, ABS-CBN News</strong></div>

<p>The testimony of former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog before the House of Representatives quadruple committee is part of a “demolition job”.</p>

The testimony of former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog before the House of Representatives quadruple committee is part of a “demolition job”.