[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Is this Jerry’s last hurrah?’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY LUIS BUENAFLOR JR.
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
ON FRIDAY, Dec. 2, Iloilo City congressman Jerry Treñas announced his retirement from local politics when his final term ends.
At the same time, he also announced that he is endorsing former World Mayor No. 5 Jed Mabilog as congressman and Vice Mayor Joe Espinosa III as mayor for the 2019 local elections.
It was widely speculated that Jerryboy will run for city mayor when his final term as congressman will end. The thought of meeting head-on with the group and resources of Jerry Treñas and Joe Espinosa III probably gave former World Mayor No. 5 Jed Mabilog a lot of sleepless nights.
I suppose with that pronouncement by Jerryboy, former World Mayor No. 5 Jed Mabilog can now breathe a sigh of relief and sleep more soundly. I’m pretty sure Marivic is also ecstatic with this latest political development.
Seriously people, when I learned of Jerryboy’s “retirement” my first reaction was simply to ignore it. So what else is new? It’s not like nobody has done this before. A lot of politicians always feign reluctance or retirement as a strategy. It usually works this way when election time comes, at the very last moment “the retired” politician will then call a press conference, and with much effort to project his reluctance announces “my duty and love for my constituents force me to go out of retirement and stand for election.”
On that thought I looked around to see if I can pick up a comment or two to find out if the natives are interested or even aware of this political development. In the streets and coffee shops it seems “everyman” has not even heard about this nor really care.
The hot topic it seems is that how can Ronnie Dayan endure seven years with Sen. Leila de Lima as she is not only fat, ugly and old but has absolutely no sex appeal. And the other hot topic it seems is how the lowly “everyman’s” snack, the saba na saging, morphed into a “sex object.”
Methinks, I digress too much and now back to Cong. Jerry Treñas and his “retirement” from politics.
From the “usual suspects” I was able to pick up some comments. Well, at least there were people aside from former World Mayor No. 5 Jed Mabilog and Vice Mayor Joe Espinosa III and their wives who were also interested in Jerry boy’s “bombshell.”
Colleague and Jed Mabilog’s nemesis Boy Mejorada posted on Facebook; “The announcement made by Iloilo City congressman Jerry Treñas that he’s retiring from politics elicited “ho-hum” reactions.”
While opposition Iloilo City councilor Joshua Alim also posted in Facebook “that he believes this retirement thing of Cong. Jerry Treñas is like a ‘Trojan horse’, he also warned former World Mayor No. 5 Jed Mabilog that it’s a political trap to make him complacent.” He also added that it’s a strategy to have all guns pointed at Jed Mabilog while taking the heat from Jerry Treñas.
Panay News reporter Merriane Grace Ereñeta not only came out with the news about Congressman Treñas’ “retirement” but posted in Facebook as well: “Nothing excites me more than politics in this city.” I can only speculate she is referring to this “retirement.”
And from “careless whispers”, maybe Cong. Jerry Treñas will indeed retire from local politics and pursue his boyhood dream of being a soldier. He can finally wear his fatigue outfit and combat boots everyday instead of waiting for the next Balikatan Exercises.
In an interview, Atty. Dan Cartagena who lost to Jerryboy in the last congressional elections but won in the “good looks” portion said he’s happy “at least there’s some news about Cong. Jerry Treñas.”
Whatever the reasons are, Congressman Treñas has been in politics for a long time. He started as city councilor then served three terms as city mayor, and as congressman he is now serving his third and final term.
When I left Iloilo he was already a politician. I came back 30 years after and he’s still one. I agree with him that it’s now time to let go of politics maybe he should take a cue from Rommel Ynion and go into organic farming.
My unsolicited advice to him: open up an artisan bakeshop in Iloilo City, at the end of the day all I can do is wish him well./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
