ILOILO is a center of trade in illegal meth or shabu, or as President Rodrigo Duterte coined, “shabulized.”
He said this while announcing the 159 names in his list of local government and uniformed personalities linked to illegal drugs.
Among the 159 names, the local chief executives from Iloilo are Alex Centena of Calinog, Iloilo, Julius Ronald Pacificador of Hamtic, Antique, Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog, Sigfredo Salangutin Betita of Carles, Iloilo, and Marciano Malones of Maasin, Iloilo.
Duterte also named Vice Mayor Francis Ansing Amboy of Maasin, Iloilo; Franz Sabalones and two more, Attorney Antonio Pesina and Erwin “Tongtong” Plagata both of Iloilo City.
Also included in the list is a Partylist congressman from Panay, Jeffrey Celis, and ex-congressman JC Rahman Nava or Guimaras Sub-Province.
Duterte said that the people of Iloilo have appealed to him for help as early as during the campaign period.
“To, doon sa Iloilo many times, almost desperate, mayor, ang droga. So we just pray, just pray that I will win and may be in the fullness of God’s time I will take care of this problem. Ito, I’m sorry, kaibigan tayo pero (I have been appealed to many times in Iloilo, they were saying they have a problem with drugs. Now this. I’m sorry, we may be friends but),” Duterte said.
“Waay ko sentimiento sa inyo ah. Waay ko utang, ti waay ka man nagpangayu sa akon (I don’t have any misgivings against you, I don’t have any debts and you did not ask any favors from me),” he added in addressing the Iloilo officials.