Duterte tirades ‘tarnish’ Iloilo image

ILOILO CITY – The business community in the city and province of Iloilo vowed to get past the negative criticisms hurled by President Duterte.

“These past months, we are taking a beating. We have to think how we can move forward,” said Lea Lara, Iloilo Business Club (IBC) executive director.

The President has accused Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog of being a drug protector, which Mabilog has denied.

Without validated data from law enforcement agencies, the President also repeatedly referred to Iloilo as the “bedrock” of illegal drugs and “shabulized,” a reference to shabu.

“This is not about Mayor Jed anymore. It’s about Iloilo being destroyed,” decried Manny Gruenberg, a hotel and resort manager.

“If the mayor is criminally liable, arrest him and send him to jail. But please, stop attacking Iloilo,” said Gruenberg, a friend of the Mabilog family.

Gruenberg said his Ilonggo marketing staff in Manila has been mocked because of Iloilo’s drug label.

A corporate executive, who requested anonymity, told Manila Bulletin the relentless attack of the President is tarnishing the business image of Iloilo, which has been very bullish for the past seven years.

“There is more to Iloilo than what is being portrayed,” added Ro-Ann Bacal, Western Visayas director of National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

Bacal assured that government agencies are still backing the development of Iloilo and the entire Western Visayas. (Tara Yap)