Sandiganbayan dismisses graft case against Jed Mabilog

The Sandiganbayan has dismissed a graft case against Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary and former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog. The anti-graft court’s Third Division ruled that the long delay in the proceedings violated Mabilog’s constitutional right to the speedy disposition of cases.

The charges stemmed from a 2015 complaint regarding a memorandum of agreement with 3L Towing Services for vehicle clamping and towing in Iloilo City. The deal was allegedly awarded without competitive bidding and involved a scheme where the company would receive 70% of collected fines.

While the court noted that the allegations in the charge sheet could establish elements of graft, it highlighted a significant delay. The complaint was filed in April 2015, but the case was not filed before the Sandiganbayan until March 2023—a period of over seven years. The court rejected explanations from the Office of the Ombudsman regarding the delay, including transitions between different Ombudsmen, and ordered the immediate dismissal of the case, the recall of Mabilog’s hold departure order, and the release of his bail bond.