“Mabilog had to be thrown under the bus to save Drilon and Roxas”, pahayag ng isang Veteran Journalist

Jojo Robles, Mar Roxas, Sen. Franklin Drilon and Mayor Jed Mabilog, photo compiled from Google

Ang beterano na mamamahayag at napapanahong kolumnista ng The Manila Times, na si Jojo Robles, ay inihayag ang posibleng mga dahilan kung bakit “MABILOG THROWN UNDER THE BUS”  habang inakusahan ng Liberal Party ang administrasyon ni Pres. Duterte na sinusubukang i-demonize ang mga “major player” ng partido sa isang pakay na bid upang ilihis ang pansin mula sa mga sariling kabiguan ng pamahalaan.

Sinabi ng partido Liberal sa iba't ibang panayam sa media na ang mga paratang laban kay Sen. Franklin Drilon at dating presidential candidate na si Mar Roxas, na nakapaloob sa isang affidavit na pinirmahan ni Ricky Serenio, ay bahagi ng isang plano laban sa partido ngunit hindi sila nagbigay ng pahayag laban sa pagpapaalis kay Mayor Mabilog bilang Alkalde ng Iloilo City.



Sa iba't ibang ulat ng media news mula sa mainstream media, nagbigay ang Liberal Party ng mga headlines na nagpapakita ng pahayag ng Liberal Party laban sa pinaghihinalaang paglahok ni Mar Roxas at Sen. Drilon sa mga iligal na drug trade ngunit nabigo ang media na gumawa ng masinsinang ulat tungkol sa affidavit ni Serenio na sinasangkot si Drilon at Roxas.

Narito ang kompletong pahayag ni Jojo Robles:

MABILOG THROWN UNDER THE BUS. The Liberal Party has accused the administration of President Duterte of attempting to demonize party bigwigs in a supposed bid to divert attention from his government's own failings.

The LP said the allegations against Senator Franklin Drilon and failed presidential candidate Mar Roxas, as contained in an affidavit signed recently by suspected drug ring member Ricky Serenio, were part of a plot against the party.



But the LP statement was strangely silent on the same charges, based on the same affidavit, hurled against Jed Patrick Mabilog, the mayor (on indefinite leave) of Iloilo City. Mabilog has been ordered dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman for “serious dishonesty,” after he failed to explain a significant increase in his net worth.

Even Manuel Mejorada, who filed the original charge against Mabilog in 2015, expressed surprise that the mayor was given the maximum penalty of dismissal and a permanent prohibition from holding public office.

“I am happy because this decision is a vindication for me [but] also saddened because the penalty imposed is the harshest under the law,” Mejorada said.

But I understand perfectly why the LP defended Drilon and Roxas but failed to even mention Mabilog, who happens to be a relation of Drilon. Mabilog, after all, has been ousted by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, long known for her passion for defending members of the party.

Mabilog had to be thrown under the bus to save Drilon and Roxas. He's small fry, after all, and useful only in order to divert attention away from the real BIG party animals.

Source: Jojo Robles