ILOILO City – Who’s afraid of President Rodrigo Duterte? Mayor Jerry Treñas isn’t. He is ready to answer the complaint coursed through Digong 8888 Hotline, a government television program the President designed to receive complaints from the public.
On Thursday night, Oct. 24, city hall employee Rosita Camacho appeared in the government-owned People’s Television Network’s Digong 8888 Hotline program accusing Treñas of coercion and oppression.
A Special Operations Officer III at the city government’s Office of Senior Citizens Affairs, Camacho told Presidential Legal Counsel and Spokesperson Salvador Panelo that she and other city government employees were told to take a leave of absence for six months or they would be facing charges.
“Sana po matulungan naman kami ng Presidente. Kung may kasalanan kami, ilaban nila ng patas,” said an emotional Camacho whom Treñas described during the midterm election campaign as a mayordoma of his rival and estranged brother-in-law, then mayor Jose Espinosa III.
Panelo told Camacho to put her complaint in writing addressed to him so he could refer it to Secretary Eduardo Año of the Department of Interior and Local Government and to the Office of the Ombudsman.
He would also be getting in touch with Treñas, said Panelo.
“Para mabigyan din naman natin ng pagkakataon si Mayor Treñas na maipaliwanag ang kanyang ginawa kung ginawa nya man ‘yun,” Panelo told Camacho.
The President’s spokesperson told Camacho to encourage other city hall employees with gripes to come out and complain against Treñas through the Digong 8888 Hotline.
He also gave her time to make a televised appeal to the President.
“Sa mahal naming Presidente, humingihi po ako ng tulong…na masabihan po ang aming mayor…ordinaryong empleyado lang ako…natatakot ako sa buhay ko kung ano ang mangyari sa akin…Ikaw nga e, hinamon ka n’ya noon ng suntukan, ano pa kaya ang mangyari sa akin,” said Camacho.
Early this month, Camacho filed charges against Treñas before the Ombudsman for alleged grave coercion, violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, grave misconduct, oppression, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
She also included in her complaint City Administrator Melchor Tan, Assistant City Administrator and Executive Assistant Noel Panaguiton, Assistant Department Head II Josephine Agudo, and Human Resource Management Officer Leo Elevencione.
TREÑAS UNFAZED
The city mayor was unfazed but expressed surprise that Camacho appeared on government television.
“I haven’t talked to her. I have not met her since nag-election. I am very surprised sang iya ginpanghambal,” said Treñas yesterday.
But the mayor said he knew that the City Legal Office is investigating Camacho for alleged electioneering.
“Waay ko ya kabalo kon ano iya gusto nga away kay waay man ko gaaway sa iya. Ang iya ya may gina atubang sya nga kaso. Alatubangon ya na,” Treñas added.
He again reiterated that Camacho was a mayordoma or yaya of his sister-in-law Gina, wife of former mayor Espinosa and sister of his wife Rosalie.
Treñas also pooh-poohed Camacho’s crying on television.
“Some people are born actors. Pwede na ina sya FAMAS,” he said.
FAMAS is the Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Sciences Awards, one of the foremost award-giving bodies in the Philippine movie industry.
Treñas previously said the criminal and administrative charges filed against him and several ranking city hall officials were attempts to disrupt city government services.
He won’t let that happen, he stressed.
“If they think they can disrupt our work, I am sorry to say they have a big problem,” Treñas told city hall reporters.
The city mayor assured the public that the city government would continue to function as it should.
But certain people at city hall should be held accountable for, among others, electioneering, he stressed.
“Duha ka bagay ang indi ko gid mapatawad – electioneering in so far as regular employees are concerned, and corruption,” said Treñas.
GRIEVANCES
Camacho was the third employee at city hall to file administrative and criminal charges against Treñas and several other city government officials before the Ombudsman. The two others were Book Binder II Joe Mari Esteral under the civil registry office and Dr. Bernard Caspe, chief of the City Health Office.
In the weeks leading to the May 13 midterm elections, according to Camacho, Treñas kept bringing up her name in derogatory and embarrassing terms.
On July 3, 2019, according to Camacho, she was summoned by Tan and was told to take a six-month leave or charges would be filed against her.
She reluctantly complied, she said, on the following dates:
* July 11 to July 31 (with leave credits)
* Aug. 5 to Aug. 16 (with leave credits)
* Aug. 19 to Aug. 30 (leave credits used up already, thus no pay)
* Sept. 1 to Dec. 31, 2019 (122 days without pay)
On Aug. 23, according to Camacho, Panaguiton told her, “Ros, Mayor Jerry is firm in his decision, everything is ready if you don’t comply, NBI (National Bureau of Investigation), CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group), lawyers, and even funds for the cases against you.”
Camacho claimed that her application for leave from Sept. 1 to Dec. 31 was prepared, signed and approved by Agudo, Elevencione and Treñas.
“The experience left me in constant anxiety, deep depression, shame, sleepless nights,” Camacho lamented.
Meanwhile, Caspe claimed Treñas suspected him of campaigning for Espinosa in the May midterm elections and subsequently pressured him to resign.
Esteral, on the other hand, complained he was reassigned to the city’s dumpsite and that he was being pressured to turn against his immediate superior, City Civil Registrar Romeo Caesar Manikan Jr. who faces investigation for alleged irregularities in the civil registry office such as registration of “fake” marriages.
Treñas belied the complaints.
“Sin-o mapwersa? Ano pagpwersa mo? Magsiling ka pwersa, ginapilit ka magpirma. Sin-o nagpilit sa ila magpirma,” said Treñas.
He added: “Ako ‘ya kon ano gusto nila atubangay man kami. My conscience is clear.”/PN
