Jerry and Me

Hole of Justice

by Peter G. Jimenea

I don’t like him either!

Cong. Jerry Trenas is said he doesn’t like me for my expose of corruption in his administration when still a mayor of Iloilo City. But during his stint, he has misgivings that as to contrition for what he did, apology cannot be accepted!

The Iloilo Terminal Market is already a hounding issue. Prior the project starts, a P17M cash advance was released by the bank, depicting a cart placed in front of the horse. As to motive of the cash advance, only God knows!

Another mess of things is the city government project of 413 units of low-cost houses in Pavia for lowly city employees. With a new PNB loan of P120M, the contractor is advised to submit billings direct to the bank for payment.  

This is not good for the heart of some people. So, they secretly transferred the loan obligation from the PNB to the Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB). On how the documentation alone cost P12M, they have a lot of explaining to do!

But that Housing Project that started in 2001, ended in 2009 without a unit built. In streets smart parlance, a hao shiao project or a white elephant and Mayor Trenas doesn't want to talk about it anymore.

The demolition of the old City hall building at Plaza Libertad was another business tainted with corruption. The bidding was closed at P800T, surprisingly it was carried out by negotiated contract for a bigger amount of P1.2 million.

Not only that. In his succeeding years as mayor, the Jalandoni Bridge was built crossing from Gen. Luna to Barangay Nabitasan, La Paz. But it was redirected to spare the hotel owned by his relative. Despite the imperfection, their will was done!

His two other national projects were the fly-over at UPV-Iloilo City crossing to Benigno Aquino Avenue and the one in front of the University of San Agustin. The projects can never be constructed without the nod of the mayor, thus, it is widely believed that his consent is in exchange for… you know what!

Reports obtained from the DPWH disclosed that a one-kilometer concrete road cost only about P20M to 22M. But the 250 meters fly-over at UPV-Iloilo to the other side of the street cost P420M. The 300 meters in front of the USA also cost P330M. Can one imagine the SOP?

Here’s we go again, the 4% bookkeeper share being deducted by the city from the IRA fund of the 180 barangays. Is there such animal in the trial balance of the city government? Unless authorized by law, this barangay IRA deduction is a broad daylight robbery.

Look, the city government is charging every barangay for electric bill on account of the street lights. But why charge another as illumination fee? Aren’t the shining lights from bulbs on street posts not illumination?

Another mess of things is the Perimeter Boundary Ordinance (PBO). There are collectors charging fees to public utility vehicles coming in and going out of the PBO. On who gets the big slice of the pie... just guess the rest!

A councilor said the mayor paid P12M for the blueprint of the city hall building structure. Oh my God, what an expensive drawing. But Kgd. Tony Pesina claimed they had not seen that drawing.

Worse is the General Fund (GF) which normally has the biggest cash balance had a P650M that cannot be reconciled due to lack of documents or no document at all. It was found out few months before the now Cong. Trenas stepped down as mayor!

The item GF is normally having a positive cash position records ever since the time of his predecessors. On what misfortune, when he’s about to leave his office, it has a negative record of P667,761,54 and you know what that means.

For others, this is understandable and tolerable. But this is not what we think the role of a city mayor is all about. They who understand and tolerate commission of deliberate misgivings against them are probably people who prefer to accept money than apology!

This is a story that won’t go away. His studying of everything in governance overtly professed what he covertly undertakes. So what’s more absurd legacy can we ask? Well, if Cong. Trenas says he doesn’t like me.... see the title!