When will Treñas and Joe III forgive each other?

“When a deep injury is done us, we never recover until we forgive.” —Alan Paton

By Alex P. Vidal

THE two successive election defeats incurred by former Iloilo City Mayor Jose “Joe III” Espinosa III in 2019 and 2022 were a bitter pill to swallow for a highly regarded public servant with a sterling track record.

If he can’t bounce back soon or in the next election, Espinosa, an honest and intelligent man, will be a big loss for Iloilo City politics.

The last thing he needs to put a final nail on his political coffin is a third straight setback in local positions.

Espinosa’s latest defeat to reelectionist Iloilo City lone district Rep. Julienne “Jam-Jam” Baronda could have been avoided if he and his brother-in-law, Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas, weren’t anymore at loggerheads.

As long as Treñas is still active in politics and they remain at odds, Espinosa, who has no more power and with a limited clout now, is doomed.

The back-to-back setbacks could put an exclamation point on his political career—unless he and Treñas will finally kiss and make up, let bygones be bygones and agree to rebuild their splintered family and political forces before they turn 80.

But after two contentious elections, the relationship between Espinosa and Treñas appeared to have further sunk deeper in the ocean instead of making some headway. 

It is said that Philippine elections sometimes could permanently cripple relationships. 

In the case of Espinosa and Treñas, time didn’t heal their wounds?

When will they forgive each other?

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It’s now crystal clear that since their feud erupted in the 2019 election, Treñas still hasn’t forgiven Espinosa, or vice versa, because they ran under two rival political parties in the May 9, 2022 election and cavorted with different candidates for city mayor and House of Representatives instead of supporting each other.

After soundly beating Espinosa for mayor in May 2019, Treñas, who trounced radioman Salvador “Jun” Capulot for mayor in May 2022, backed Baronda’s releection bid for congressman against Espinosa, who supported Capulot.

But even if the two brothers-in-law decided to bury their hatchet for the sake of family unity before the May 9, 2022 election, it wouldn’t follow that Treñas will discard second-termer Baronda for Espinosa.

Treñas’ political commitment with Baronda doesn’t end with the  reinstatement of his relationship with Espinosa. 

Baronda’s position shouldn’t be part of any package deal by any wheeler-dealer.  

Both gentlemen can always break bread together again anytime and rekindle their sweet moments without sacrificing Baronda, or interrupting the lady’s joyride in congress.

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The newly elected neophyte politicians don’t need to be reminded like kindergarten pupils on what to do especially if they are in the legislature—local and national.

Whatever they do or plan to do now that they have been elected, is their call. 

We won’t babysit or pamper those who are incompetent and inept.

Some of them were elected because of their notoriety and popularity, but it’s part of the game and there is nothing we can do about it now; we can’t deny this fact and reality.

The obligation of the voters is to elect their chosen candidates in a free election and watch while they serve in their capacity as public servants. It’s up to the elected officials whether they will bungle or shine.

Good luck.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

Time for Treñas to say thank you

“None of us got to where we are alone. Whether the assistance we received was obvious or subtle, acknowledging someone's help is a big part of understanding the importance of saying thank you.”

—Harvey Mackay

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WE expect Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas to thank the 229 solons, including Aambis-OWA partylist Rep. Sharon Garin and House Bill 10464 author, Iloilo City lone district Rep. Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda, for the approval on December 13 on third and final reading in the House of Representatives of the bill that seeks to establish the Iloilo City Hospital.

No more hard feelings and animosity.

The bill was the genesis of the boisterous tremor that erupted between the city mayor and Rep. Garin recently owing to the delay of its passage in the Lower House.

Now that Baronda had nothing but a piece of good news for Treñas and the Ilonggos in Iloilo City in general, it’s also time for the city mayor to also thank House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, Majority Floor Leader Martin Romualdez, Appropriations Committee Chair Eric Yap, Health Committee Chair Angelina Tan for their support for the bill.

Baronda, who described the approval of the legislative measure as “an early Christmas gift to the people of Iloilo City” in a statement, also formally put to a closure the controversy that almost shattered the political relationship of the Garins in the first district of Iloilo and the city officials sympathetic to Trenas and Baronda. 

All’s well that ends well but the hurting words, which are expected to heal by the passing of time, hopefully.

Baronda beamed: “We pray that the counterpart measure in the Senate is also passed real soon. We are doing our best to strengthen the healthcare system by putting up our own hospital so that the Ilonggos will have an easy access to affordable and efficient medical care."

 

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Government officials in the Philippines who attach their names and photos on projects financed by the taxpayers are ridiculed as “epals” for their inappropriate action.

In fact, a Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) memorandum circular no. 2010-101 dated September 23, 2010 bans them from placing their names, initials, photos and other images in the billboards and signages of government programs, projects and properties.

And while we laud the Commission on Audit (COA) for stumbling into Passi City’s P629,564.21 worth of “irregular expenditures” in it’s audit observation for the calendar year 2020, we aren’t sure if chiding local officials of Passi City, Iloilo “for plastering their names and faces on certain government projects, programs, and properties and on procured goods” was part of its mandate.

If it is, then COA deserves another accolade even if it may have duplicated DILG’s function and power to lower to boom on all “epals” all over the Philippines.

 

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In Section 2 (1) of Article IX-D on the Commission on Audit of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, COA shall only have “the power, authority, and duty to examine, audit, and settle all accounts pertaining to the revenue and receipts of, and expenditures or uses of funds and property, owned or held in trust by, or pertaining to, the Government, or any of its subdivisions, agencies, or instrumentalities, including government-owned or controlled corporations with original charters, and on a post-audit basis…”

COA’s constitutional mandate clearly doesn’t include berating the “epals”, but the state auditors can always assert that pointing out the “epals’” transgressions will justify their findings of the “irregular expenditures.”    

COA scored Passi City officials saying the “practice of putting up of billboard and signage’s and other information materials bearing the names, initial or pictures of government personalities on all government projects, and government properties (fire truck, ambulances, vehicles etc.), is prohibited.”   

Also, COA lectured them that information on government project should be limited to the “name of the project and location, contractor, the date when it started and the projects completion date” and that government projects or properties and official vehicles must also only contain the “official seal or name of the local government unit.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Examining the ‘feud’ between Treñas and Garin

“A healthy democracy requires a decent society; it requires that we are honorable, generous, tolerant and respectful.”

—Charles W. Pickering

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

WE’RE beginning to suspect the apparent feud between Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas and AAMBIS-OWA partylist Rep. Sharon Garin was a result of: 1. Miscommunication; 2. Emotional Outburst; and 3. Politics.

Let’s examine them. 

1. MISCOMMUNICATION. Treñas accused the lady solon from the Municipality of Guimbal, Iloilo of blocking House Bill No. 10464, which seeks to establish the Uswag Iloilo City Hospital (UICH).

Garin denied the accusation, saying she had only mentioned to bill proponent, Iloilo City lone district Rep. Julienne ”Jamjam” Baronda, to remove the “Uswag” word in the proposed city hospital. 

She supported the bill, according to her, as reported in The Daily Guardian.

Garin may have found the word “Uswag” in the proposed bill distasteful as it connotes politicking; the word, incidentally, is officially registered as a partylist in the May 9, 2022 election and is openly being endorsed by Treñas, whose daughter is reportedly one of the nominees.

If she was telling the truth about the positive vote she had supposedly cast for the bill, Garin had a valid point.

Garin couldn’t be responsible for the reported delay of the bill’s passage in the Lower House, according to her, because “I’m just one vote. A bill needs majority of the quorum. One vote is not enough to oppose and not let the bill get approved.”

Was Treñas misinformed about Garin “blocking” the bill? 

 

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2. EMOTIONAL OUTBURST. It was Treñas who fired the first volley and used harsh words such as “deputa” (an expletive) to describe how exasperated he was when the bill wasn’t approved for the third reading “because of the opposition of a Congresswoman from a Party List coming from Iloilo Province. I hope it will finally be approved on the third and final reading tomorrow since it will benefit the people of the City of Iloilo. It is just very sad though,” the city mayor bewailed in a Facebook post, as reported.

A male adult and a local chief executive of a premier metropolis to boot wouldn’t blow his top like his manhood was put into a severe test if he wasn’t terribly infuriated.

He could have just muttered: “I hope Congresswoman Garin would not stand in the way of the proposed bill because the city hospital means a lot for all of us city residents, etcetera.”

Let us read between the lines in the city mayor’s umbrage at the lady lawmaker in a radio interview, as reported: “It’s like she wants to die for that. She doesn’t want ‘Uswag’. That’s okay. Let’s not care if she wants to die on that. But what does Congresswoman (Sharon) Garin care about what we do here in the city? Why does she not want us to build a hospital? This is for the poor. If she wants to, let her make her own hospital. We won’t object to that (expletive).”

Was Treñas, as benefactor of the partylist “Uswag”, so incensed because the word is so special and important and needed to be retained in the proposed city hospital so it could help, in one way or the other, the partylist in name recall? 

 

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3. POLITICS. Whichever side we look at the furor, all indications point to politics, plain and simple. 

The proposed city hospital isn’t totally dead; its passage in the Lower House appeared to have been stalled only. With due diligence from Rep. Baronda, it could still muster enough support from other members of the Lower House and may still be passed when congress resumes and tackles the matter.

Stalled means it was only delayed. If Rep Baronda, and, perhaps, Rep. Garin and other proponents will exert extraordinary efforts to work around the clock for the passage of the bill, it can be passed into law if proponents in the Upper House (Senate) are ready to adopt it, barring unforeseen circumstances, for the president’s signature.

There’s no need, actually, for saber-rattling and exchange of hurting words between the contending parties, or between Treñas and Garin.

Unless Treñas really wants to expedite the passage of the proposed bill before the May 9, 2022 election and insists on retaining the word “Uswag” in aid of his partylist.

As for Garin, we still can’t see any veiled malice or sinister intention for her to lock horns with Trenas, Baronda and the residence of Iloilo City who will stand to benefit if the proposed bill becomes a law. 

Too premature to call it a “crab mentality.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo.—Ed)