SENATOR Franklin Drilon wants the President, the Judiciary and the Congress to come up with complete and significant reforms in the judicial system.
He admitted being saddened and hurt by the perception that Iloilo local officials are involved in the drug trade which became the basis of such a sweeping description of city and province of Iloilo.
Drilon said his reading of the shame campaign of the President is due to an imperfect justice system.
The problem is that a shame campaign is not based on evidence and the margin of error is quite significant, he added.
He said that a drastic reform in the justice system is needed for the return of trust and confidence of the people.
Drilon admitted that all the efforts of the Ilongos for the past five years to make Iloilo an attractive and progressive investment destination and a livable city in the country is negated by a sweeping judgment of the city and province of Iloilo.
“Whatever these officials may have allegedly done are their individual acts, and cannot be the collective guilt of the Ilonggos,” Drilon said in a statement.
While Drilon strongly supports the President’s anti-drug campaign, due process and the rule of law must be dutifully upheld.
As a lawyer and former justice secretary, he urged the President that if there is evidence that these officials were involved in the drug trade, he should immediately charge them administratively or in court.
Drilon said that Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog is ready to face an investigation and he should be investigated.
If the evidence so warrants, Mabilog must be held responsible and if there is none, the city mayor must be given the opportunity to clear his name and he should submit himself to an investigation. (LCP/Sunnex)