Neither Treñas nor Baronda…

By Herbert Vego

ILOILO City Mayor Jerry Treñas and Rep. Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda, erstwhile political allies, should never have blamed each other for failure to help former Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog in his hour of need.

Neither of the two could have saved him from the wrath of an angry president.

To recap, the two blamed each other for doing nothing to defend Mabilog against the then President Rodrigo Duterte who had called Mabilog  “protector” of an Ilonggo drug lord and  lloilo “the most shabulized city”

Neither of the two could have saved Mabilog from a possible assassination had the latter depended on them because like him, they, too, had campaigned for Mar Roxas in the 2016 presidential election that Duterte won.

Nevertheless, Mabilog was re-elected mayor.

Baronda lost for vice-mayor against Jose Espinosa III.

Not even the city councilors elected that year lifted a finger; any attempt to defend the beleaguered mayor could have harmed their own political future.

Anybody else in Mabilog’s shoes would be as wary, knowing that two other “marked” mayors – Mayors Rolando Espinosa of Albuera, Leyte and Reynaldo Parojinog of Ozamis City – had died in the hands of the police, rubbed out before the blind “eyes” of disabled CCTV cameras.

Mabilog saved his own life by abandoning City Hall and living abroad in August 2017.

But there was no evidence against Mabilog. The most believable reason why Duterte raised hell against him was because the latter had disallowed him from staging his political rally at Freedom Grandstand, diverting it to La Paz Plaza instead.

Had Duterte not targeted him, Mabilog might have run for congressman in 2019.

Clearly, the blame game between JPT and Jam-jam now is just a political issue triggered by his daughter Raisa’s intention to run against the re-electionist congresswoman in May 2025.

Anyway, going back to Mabilog, some people believe that he might come home soon to run against Treñas.

I don’t think so. I remember having interviewed with him during his first term as councilor. He said he would quit politics after age 50.

He turned 51 on September 20, 2016.

-oOo-

FAREWELL, ATTY ALLANA BABAYEN-ON

THE last time I met her, young lawyer Atty. Allana Babayen-on revealed that she was about to go out of the country for further legal studies.

In other words, she is leaving her post as legal officer and assistant corporate secretary of MORE Electric and Power Corp (MORE Power) for further studies in Canada.

Although she will officially terminate her stint with MORE Power on September 23, 2024 yet, she has gone on leave since August 16, 2024. I understand that another young lady lawyer is taking over.

Atty. Babayen-on earned her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from West Visayas State University, graduating magna cum laude. She pursued a Bachelor of Laws from the University of San Agustin, where she graduated at the top of her class in 2016, ranking first among her peers. Her exemplary performance continued as she placed 4th in the 2016 Bar Examinations.

MORE Power President Roel Castro commended Atty. Babayen-on for having served MORE Power throughout its five years of service as the power-distribution utility of Iloilo City.

Best of luck in all your future endeavors!

AN UNCLE AT THE COURT OF APPEALS

WHY should I not be proud?  A 56-year-old uncle of mine (yes, much younger than I) has just been appointed by Pres. Marcos as one of the four new Associate Justices at the Court of Appeals.  He is Emilio Rodolfo Y. Legaspi III. The three others are Justices Ferdinand Baylon, Marietta Brawner-Cualing, and Mary Josephine Lazaro.

They took their oath of office at the Supreme Court before Chief Justice Alexander G. Gesmundo last Friday.

Prior to his new appointment, he had served as a Regional Trial Court judge at RTC-Manila Branch 13. He is also a law professor at the Arellano Law School.

There are four Emilio sons in the family.  The “orig” was the late Judge Emilio Legaspi, whose last assignment was at the RTC-Iloilo City.