Let Ilonggos judge Mejorada – Drilon

Senate President Franklin Drilon said he is leaving it up to Iloilo officials on whether or not they would declare lawyer Manuel Mejorada “persona non-grata” or literally, an unwelcome person, in their province.

This was bared by Drilon in a radio interview Friday or just 24 hours after Mejorada, a former Iloilo provincial administrator, appeared before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to indict the Senate leader in the alleged overpricing of the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC).

However, Mejorada, a former employee of the senator, failed to substantiate his allegations, even admitting at one point during the hearing that he had “no evidence” linking Drilon to any wrongdoing with regard his pet project, the 700-million ICC.

This perception, along with the resource person’s words branding Iloilo as a “bird’s nest of corruption,” apparently earned the ire of common Ilonggos and officials to the point that some are now moving to have Mejorada declared persona non-grata.

Meanwhile, other lawmakers who are Liberal Party (LP) allies of Drilon have already expressed concern that the ICC controversy could result in the postponement of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in the province next year, which in the first place was the purpose of the structure’s construction.