Ghosted ex-BFF has kind words for ‘Pulong’
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 25 June) — Despite being ghosted by his former best friend for years, outgoing City Councilor Nilo “Small” Abellera, of the first district, still has nice words for Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte in the former’s farewell speech at the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Tuesday.
“Pwede ko bang kalimutan, to Congressman Paolo ‘Pulong’ Zimmerman Duterte, while our paths may diverge, I hope you stay true in fulfilling your aspirations and desires for the betterment of Davao City especially the first district of Davao City,” he said.
“May your sworn duty to serve and commitment be achieved and give a lasting impact to the Dabawenyos we truly love,” added Abellera.
Abellera hit the limelight in 2017 when he, along with Rep. Duterte and lawyer Mans Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, among others, were implicated in the ₱6.4-billion drug smuggling scandal in Valenzuela City in Metro Manila where he, the congressman and lawyer Mans Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, among others, were implicated.
The cases against Pulong and Carpio were eventually “dismissed [by the Office of the Ombudsman] for lack of basis.”
During the election campaign, Abellera said he was befuddled by being ghosted by Rep. Duterte.
In an interview with MindaNews last March 16 during the campaign, Abellera described his estranged relationship with Pulong as formerly close.
“Magkaibigan kami,” he said, adding he did not have any parting words with the eldest son of former President Duterte.
Abellera ran under opposition candidate Karlo Nograles as one of their councilors but did not make the top eight.
According to the outgoing councilor, he was implicated by former Senator Antonio Trillanes III as one of the key suspects in a supposed drug exposé in 2017.
“If only for the reason na iyang gisulti nga ako ang linked to Paolo, which is magkaibigan kami,” Abellera said.
Abellera said that his fallout with Pulong started around a month after their appearance at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee in August 2017.
“After nung Senate, I think that was in September. After noon, di na kami nag-usap. Walang conversation, wala kaming napag-usapan na nag-away kami. Nangyari na lang. That’s why I was stunned, di ko lang talaga alam ang rason kung bakit,” he said.
Abellera said he was willing to face Pulong anytime, to patch things up.
“Wala akong alam na galit si [Vice President Sara Duterte] sa akin. Wala akong alam na away namin ni Mayor Baste [Duterte], wala akong alam na kung ano man, with [former President Rodrigo Duterte] sa akin. I don’t have any away or galit sa kanila,” he stressed.
Abellera said that he and Pulong were schoolmates at the Philippine Women’s College. “We used to go out a lot, we used to ride motorcycles a lot. Nagsama pa nga kami ng Manila para mag motor,” he recalled the good old days.
Shortly after the Senate hearing in 2017, Abellera lost all his committee posts at the city council when Pulong was the presiding officer as vice mayor back then.
He was stripped of his chairmanship of the committee on peace and public safety, as well as vice chairmanship in the committees on public works and barangay affairs, and membership in the committees on finance, games and amusement and tourism and beautification.
In July 2023, Councilor Abellera was barred from entering the session hall of the Sanggunian Panlungsod during the first State of the City Address (SOCA) of Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte. He was the only one among the 28 members of the council—including the vice mayor and sectoral representatives—who was not allowed to attend the SOCA.
Like before, he was the only one who was not given a chairmanship role or membership in any of the committees during his term from 2022 until he stepped down on Tuesday.
Abellera was expelled from Hugpong sa Tawong Lungsod (HTL) founded by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2021. He thus ran under Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s current political party. (Ian Carl Espinosa/MindaNews)
Abellera served as city councilor under the leadership of three Dutertes at the helm.
He was first elected in 2010 when Vice President Sara was mayor. And again in 2013 when former President Rodrigo was still city mayor. Abellera again won a council seat in 2016 under VP Sara, and once more in 2022 with Baste as mayor. (Ian Carl Espinosa with Yas D. Ocampo / MindaNews)
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