ILOILO City – There will be a full audit of city government personnel, according to Mayor-elect Jerry Treñas. The city government has taken in a lot of “illegal job hires” he said, and they were made to work as personal household help, family drivers, nannies, waitresses, even as barbers.
The come-backing mayor has also given several city hall department heads and other city government personnel a choice: resign now or face charges for electioneering, graft and corruption, even immorality, among others.
They should “find other gainful employment” outside the city government “otherwise we will have to deal with them,” said Treñas.
“I will be asking for a straightforward personnel audit when I come in,” he told Panay News yesterday.
Treñas accused the following to have campaigned for Mayor Jose Espinosa III during the recent midterm elections campaign period, thereby engaging in prohibited partisan political activity:
* Jojo Castro, sports development officer V
* Moises Salomon, sports development officer III
* Phil Barcelona, officer-in-charge, barangay affairs
* retired police colonel Felix Muchada, executive assistant for security
* Dr. Bernard Caspe, City Health Office chief
* Engineer Bobby Dumanil, head, Task Force on Anti-Squatting and Illegal Structures
* Engineer Bobby Divinagracia, City Engineer’s Office chief
* Juncae Manikan, local civil registrar
* Eireen Manikan, assistant tourism officer
* Jason Gregorio, Local Youth Development Office head
* Dionisio Duco, Vincent Dela Cruz, Piper Billones, Melvin Sorongon, and Jun Inac Carl Espinosa Maderable, among others
These city hall executives and personnel should choose between having a “graceful exit” or facing a string of charges, said Treñas.
This early his lawyers are now gathering affidavits of witnesses against these people, he revealed.
Treñas defeated Espinosa in a lopsided race for city mayor. He got 134,143 votes against Espinosa’s 65,724.
“Uswag Iloilo!” was the campaign battle cry of the incoming mayor, which in English means “Prosper Iloilo.”
Treñas served as mayor of for nine straight years from 2001 to 2010 prior to becoming congressman from 2010 to 2019.
Meanwhile, Espinosa denied ordering city government department heads and other city government officials to campaign for him.
“They were just doing their jobs. Gin-detach ko gid na sila sa kampanyahanay,” he said.
Espinosa also said regular/permanent city government employees have security of tenure under the civil service law.
“Elected officials come and go (but) ang aton da ‘ya empleyado nga under sa (civil service) sila na ‘ya ang naga-continue sang (government) services,” he stressed.
The outgoing mayor then reiterated his earlier statement that he was open to reconciling with Treñas, his brother-in-law.
The wives of Espinosa and Treñas were sisters.
But Treñas indicated he was not ready to kiss and make up with Espinosa. He admitted being deeply hurt by the issues hurled against him, his wife and children during the campaign period.
“I have never been subjected to such venomous attacks in my political life,” said Treñas.
He called for an end to dirty politics and thanked the people of the city for supporting him./PN
