The Joe and Jerry peep show

THIS COLUMN was supposed to be titled “Joe and Jerry” but it seems like some ice cream brand i.e. Ben and Jerry’s. Take note folks that this is a sosyal brand, not your usual sorbetes or “dirty ice cream.” This is the ice cream of choice of the hip and trendy “beautiful people.”

Chances are if you have not heard or even tasted “Ben and Jerry’s” then you are not sosyal or hip and trendy enough, probably worst, you cannot afford to buy it; in short, poor and baduy.

Are you offended? If you are, then good. That’s the idea. Now you can’t stop reading.

The ongoing foreplay between Iloilo City congressman (his 90 days suspension are probably done by now) Jerry Treñas and Iloilo City mayor Joe Espinosa III is shaping into an interesting political strip tease.

And that’s why we’re not having any association with Ben and Jerry’s ice cream because politics is baduy and not sosyal; it’s more like on the same level as those strip joints along JM Basa Street.

So what brought about the “Joe and Jerry Peep Show” as these two have always been intertwined with each other, both political and personal at least, that’s what their wives (incidentally sisters belonging to the iconic Sarabia clan) would like it to be.

Here are excerpts from Panay News (May 22 issue):

Joe Vs Jerry

Mayor Jose Espinosa III has pulled out three city government employees assigned at the office of Cong. Jerry Treñas. Why?

“In the exigency of service, you are hereby relieved of your present assignments…effective 22 May 2018,” read part of Espinosa’s Memorandum Order No. 99 dated May 18, 2018.

It was unclear as of this writing if Treñas was informed of the pull-out.

Treñas last week took pot-shots at Espinosa’s “Pag-ulikid Sang Syudad” – a weekly program that brings city government services to the barangays.

The three city government employees ordered to return to their respective mother units at city hall were Cherry Jover-Ampig, assistant department head II; Rudina Blas, day care worker; and Snow Paredes, administrative assistant I.

They were regular city government employees from way back when Treñas was still the mayor. When Treñas was elected congressman in 2010, then Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog detailed them to the former’s office.

Espinosa’s memo cited no other reason for pulling out the three employees. But he issued the order days after Treñas criticized his “Pag-ulikid” program.

“They should not do it once a week or twice a week only. Seguro dapat adlaw-adlaw,” Treñas had said.

City Administrator Hernando Galvez denied that politics was behind the recall. The services of the three employees in their mother units were essential, he stressed, and their absence adversely affected the functions of their units.

Treñas lambasted last week Espinosa’s “Pag-ulikid” program – his first time to publicly rebuke his brother-in-law.

According to the congressman, he found it ironic that the city government would hold “Pag-ulikid” (Hiligaynon for “care”) on weekends when on weekdays it would be busy with “pangkakas (take down), pang-ipit (oppress) and pangkugâ (strangle).”

Treñas did not elaborate but he could be referring to the removal of city government executive assistants and job hires identified with him.

Espinosa has yet to announce his plans for the 2019 election but critics view his “Pag-ulikid” program as bordering on campaigning already.

And Panay News’ May 23 issue:

Treñas on sudden staff pull-out: ‘This is how city hall cares’

The city government’s pullout of his three trusted staff took Cong. Jerry Treñas by surprise. He was not informed about it in advance and only learned about it on the day Mayor Jose Espinosa III issued the recall order, according to the congressman.

Treñas, however, appeared unfazed and obliquely criticized the city mayor.

“Basi amo na ang pag-ulikid (So this is how the city government cares),” said Treñas, referencing Espinosa’s “Pag-ulikid Sang Syudad” community outreach program that he indirectly slammed last week as hypocritical.

Hmmm…this is getting to be more and more interesting, not to mention absurd.

Talks among the coffee shop habituates seem to drift towards this: Jerryboy is on his last term as congressman, already a lame duck aggravated by his 90 days suspension and dubious relationship with President Rodrigo Duterte.

This makes Jerryboy fast becoming politically irrelevant unless he runs for another position other than congressman and certainly not senator as it is way above his league.

There were some political pundits expecting him to run at the recently concluded barangay elections either as barangay captain or kagawad; that speculation is really below the belt as Jerryboy is not that desperate.

So that leaves him no choice but to run for mayor. The problem is current Mayor Joe III has developed a fondness for the position, too, and that does not sit well with Jerryboy’s last ditch political plans.

To make matters worse for Jerryboy is that Joe III has shown to be a formidable foe and has something that previous mayors of “I Am Iloilo City” never had – something called political will.

Maybe Jerryboy should just fulfil the promise he made in December 2016 and that is to retire from politics and concentrate on the family business, you know, running a bakery. (brotherlouie16@gmail.com/PN)