Former Iloilo City mayor Jed Mabilog present during the Quad Comm hearing into Illegal POGOs, illegal drugs, and alleged EJKs during the Duterte Administration in Quezon City on September 19, 2024. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News 

MANILA — Former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog on Thursday revealed an alleged plan in 2017 to force him to implicate former senators Mar Roxas and Franklin Drilon in the illegal drug trade.

In a speech before the House Quad Committee investigating gambling hubs and illegal drugs, Mabilog recounted the "paralyzing terror" from the alleged kill plot against him and the supposed scheme to force him to tag the Liberal Party stalwarts in the illegal drugs.

Mabilog and his family went to a 7-year exile in the United States after he repeatedly received drug accusations from former President Rodrigo Duterte.

'THEY WILL KILL YOU'

In a lengthy address, Mabilog, overcome with emotion, recounted that on August 28, 2017, he received an "unexpected call" from former Philippine National Police Regional Director Bernardo Diaz, who invited him to meet with then-PNP chief and now Sen. Ronald dela Rosa at Camp Crame in Quezon City the next day. 

He arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on August 29 to attend the meeting, but it was repeatedly delayed. By afternoon, a PNP colonel allegedly called him "in a voice that sent shivers down my spine," warning him not to go to Camp Crame "because my life was in danger." 

"The fear that had been simmering now erupted," he said. 

He said his wife Marivic then received "a chilling text from a PNP colonel's wife, saying, 'Do not proceed. There are 20 men surrounding your house and if you go to Camp Crame, they will kill you.'"

"The terror was paralyzing, I could not believe it. My life and my family’s life were hanging by a thread," he said.

Mabilog previously said he feared for his life as several alleged "narco-politicians" were killed in police operations under the Duterte administration at the time, including Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. and Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog.

'TO BE FORCED TO POINT FINGERS'

By August 30, 2017, Mabilog left the country for Japan for an international conference, uncertain if he would return. Upon arrival, he received a message from General Diaz to call a number, which turned out to be Dela Rosa's. 

Mabilog said the former PNP chief, speaking in Bisaya, expressed his sympathy and supposedly said, "He knew I was innocent, that I wasn’t involved in illegal drugs and he promised to help me." 

Mabilog said Dela Rosa's words "brought a brief moment of hope." "I told him I would finish my work abroad and return to meet him, but he urged me to be careful repeating his pledge to help."

Shortly after the call with Dela Rosa, Mabilog said he received a call from another unnamed police general who supposedly told him, "Mayor, do not return, your life is in danger."

"The accusations against you are all fabricated, but if you go to Crame, you'll be forced to point fingers to an opposition senator and a former presidential candidate as drug lords," Mabilog said, quoting the police general as saying. 

Mabilog initially expressed apprehension about naming the personalities but later in the hearing confirmed that the two politicians were Roxas and Drilon. Roxas was Duterte's rival in the 2016 presidential race.

"If I asked you, better you answer by yes or no, is it former Sen. Mar Roxas? Is it former Sen. Drilon, who is your cousin?" Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano asked. 

"Yes, sir," Mabilog said.

"The weight of the conspiracy against me was unbearable," Mabilog said. "This general couldn't live with the guilt of having me killed, he said, and warned me to destroy my Philippine SIM card and phone immediately and told me because my phone is going to be wiretapped. My hands trembled as I realized how close death had come."

"I knew then that I was no longer just a target, I was in a battle for my life," he added.

Mabilog did not return to the Philippines after attending the event in Japan and instead flew to the US, where he and his family were granted political asylum in March 2019. He said that US authorities conducted a 15-month investigation to confirm they were not involved in illegal drugs.

READ: Ex-Iloilo mayor Mabilog surrenders to NBI

Last week, Mabilog surrendered to Philippine authorities to face graft and code of conduct charges and promptly posted bail.

In his speech, Mabilog refuted Duterte's claim that labeled him a "drug protector". He said he never benefitted from any drug personality in Iloilo, which Duterte had claimed was the "most shabulized" city in the country.

Mabilog lamented that the so-called "narco-list" of politicians allegedly involved in drugs was never validated or vetted by government agencies. 

FROM THE ARCHIVES: Duterte to Iloilo's Mabilog: 'You’re next'

WHAT BATO SAYS

Dela Rosa confirmed that Mabilog had called him before he fled the country, saying he was worried for his safety. 

"I told him: so far ang pagkakilala ko sa iyo mabait ka na mayor at tumutulong ka sa anti-drug efforts ng PNP. Di bale kung takot ka, pumunta ka dito sa akin sa crame and I can assure you walang mangyayari sa iyo. Kukumbinsihin ko si Presidente na matino ka na tao," he said. 

But Dela Rosa said Mabilog did not show up. He also scoffed at Mabilog's claim that he would have been in danger at the national police headquarters. 

"Very incredible naman yun na papuntahin ko sya sa Camp Crame para patayin?" Dela Rosa said.

MABILOG CALLS FOR REFORMS 

"No individual should be allowed to wield such unchecked authority, regardless of their position or power," Mabilog said, without directly naming Duterte. 

"Accusations must be duly validated and authenticated first before any public announcement to avoid shaming the honor and reputation and good image of hardworking and innocent persons. Above all, make accountable those who abuse power," he added.

Mabilog called for reforms to address what he said were "critical flaws" in law enforcement agencies to prevent them from being "weaponized" for political motives.

"By using state institutions to carry out personal vendettas or silence perceived enemies undermines the foundation of justice and democracy in our country," he said.

"Durog na durog, persecution, trauma, atsaka walang-wala. [Sana] ay hindi po mararanasan ng iba," he said.

Mabilog said he made several attempts to meet with Duterte to clarify his drug accusations, but he never had a chance to speak with the former president.

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Ex-mayor Mabilog, in tears, says he has forgiven Duterte

Duterte and police officials have denied extrajudicial killings and rights abuses in his government's fight against illegal drugs.

'I don't give a sh*t': Duterte says extrajudicial killings in drug war 'not true'

Albayalde claims no rights violations in Duterte's drug war

ABS-CBN News is seeking comment from Duterte administration officials on Mabilog's allegations.

The PNP said it would investigate the alleged death threats against Mabilog.

“We’ll check po,” PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Marbil said. “Ang concerned po dito yung PSPG (Police Security and Protection Group) po natin for any security. Maybe I’ll ask PSPG commander to talk to Mr. Mabilog kung kailangan niya po ng security.”

But Marbil denied that the PNP could be “weaponized” for political motives.  

“Hindi po puwedeng ma-weaponize po yun. Meron po tayong policies diyan at meron po tayong Ombudsman pagka nagkakamali po ang pulis natin,” he said. 

-- With reports from Victoria Rulad and RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News