Mabilog, Joe III to meet in New York City?

Posted by watchmen
May 9, 2018
Posted in OPINION

“I’m still passionately interested in what my fellow humans are up to. For me, a day spent monitoring the passing parade is a day well-spent.” –Garry Trudeau

 

An Ilonggo community leader in New Jersey recently disclosed to this writer that Iloilo City Mayor Jose ‘Joe III’ Espinosa III and his wife, Gina Sarabia-Espinosa, will be among the VIPs scheduled to grace the 120th Philippine Independence Day Parade, which will run along Madison Avenue on June 3.

According to the community leader, who requested anonymity because “I haven’t yet asked permission from authorized parade officials to reveal the official list of people coming for the event pending their application for visa (in the US Embassy in Manila),” the couple will accompany Dinagyang 2018 champion Tribu Panyanon and Guimaras’ Manggahan Festival tribe, who were officially invited by the Philippine Independence Day Council, Inc. (PIDCI) through past president Joji Juele-Jalandoni.

Another source said former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is also expected to arrive for the parade, in order to meet with Iloilo City officials he hasn’t seen since going on a sick leave, which expired on September 30, 2017, followed by his dismissal as city mayor the following month.

The former Iloilo City mayor is believed to be residing in Canada “for security reasons.”

 

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The Ombudsman ordered Mabilog’s dismissal on October 6, 2017 and has been out of the Philippines since last year, believed to have proceeded to Canada, together with his family, after President Rodrigo Duterte allegedly threatened to kill him.

Nobody from Mabilog’s camp or family has confirmed that he was planning to fly to New York City for the parade or to hold a private meeting with any Iloilo City official.

It was Mabilog who first brought the then-2013 Dinagyang champion Tribu Panayanon to the 115th Philippine Independence Day Parade in New York City.

During the 2015 Philippine Independence Day Parade, Philippine consulate officials in New York City invited Mabilog among the few VIPs, together with then-senator and current Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, to join flag-raising ceremonies at the Philippine consulate, located along Fifth Avenue, but he didn’t arrive.

No Dinagyang tribe participated in the 119th Parade in 2017.

Before his dismissal, Mabilog, who was on his third and final term, was reportedly being endorsed by supporters to run for Iloilo City Lone District congressman, a position currently held by Rep. Jerry Treñas.

 

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Sources say Mabilog “might use the occasion to meet with Mayor Joe III Espinosa and Mabilog’s other former allies in city hall who will be part of the parade entourage.”

Among others expected for the event include Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation chair Ramon Cua Locsin and Iloilo City Tourism Officer Junel Ann Divinagracia.

Espinosa III served as vice mayor during Mabilog’s term as city mayor.

Espinosa III, Treñas, and a majority of the Iloilo City Council are now with the PDP-Laban, the political party of Mabilog’s tormenter, President Duterte.

It was not immediately known whether Mabilog, who still has plenty of followers in Iloilo City, would endorse Treñas’ bid for city mayor in 2019 and Espinosa, who is rumored to be running for congressman but hasn’t revealed anything in public other than confirming that he is “definitely running in 2019.”

Mabilog, Treñas, and Espinosa III composed the so-called “dreaded political triumvirate” that ruled Iloilo City politics in the early 2000 since the departure from politics of the late former Senator Rodolfo Ganzon and the late justice Secretary Raul M. Gonzalez, Sr.

They have been tagged as “unbeatable and unbreakable” until Duterte won as president in 2016 and booted Mabilog out from Iloilo city hall in 2017.

They were all backed by Liberal Party bigwig, Senator Frank Drilon, Mabilog’s second cousin and No. 1 endorser of defeated presidential aspirant Mar Roxas./WDJ

 

 

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