A Crisis of Trust in Iloilo City

When the price of rent and daily goods goes up, it’s a conversation held at the kitchen table. But in Iloilo City, that conversation has been hijacked by political maneuvering, convenient denials, and a troubling effort to silence dissent. The debate is no longer just about the controversial 300% Real Property Tax (RPT) hike; it’s about the erosion of public trust and the refusal of our leaders to confront the reality their constituents face every day.

The city’s 3.7% inflation rate for July—one of the fastest in the region—is not just a statistic. It is the P500 rent increase for an apartment near a university. It is the extra P3 for a can of sardines at a neighborhood grocery. It is the palpable financial squeeze felt by students, families, and small business owners trying to make ends meet. While Ilonggos navigate this harsh reality, City Hall appears more invested in managing the narrative than in addressing the problem.

The most glaring example is the concerning episode involving the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). On August 15, PSA-6 Director Nelida Amolar stated in the vernacular a basic economic principle in a press conference: a significant tax increase on property forces businesses to pass on the cost. “When the RPT increases, establishments often add extra charges to the prices of commodities or services,” she explained, adding, “If they pay more, they earn less — that is a direct effect.” Her statement was clear, logical, and recorded on video.

Yet, after Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu publicly dismissed the inflation link, City Hall issued a statement claiming Director Amolar “vehemently denied” ever making such a direct connection. This is not a simple misinterpretation; it is a direct contradiction of verifiable evidence. This incident raises profound questions about the independence of our state institutions. Is the PSA, the country’s official source of data, susceptible to political pressure? When a public servant’s expert analysis is walked back after ruffling political feathers, the public is left to wonder what other truths are being massaged behind closed doors. The integrity of data is the bedrock of good governance, and this episode has shaken that foundation.

Instead of addressing the PSA’s initial findings, the city’s leadership has opted for a playbook of deflection and suppression. Mayor Treñas-Chu, citing her economics degree, summarily dismissed the entire issue as “just politics.” This is a convenient, yet dangerous, simplification. It invalidates the legitimate economic pain of her constituents and the professional assessment of state economists by framing them as mere political attacks.

This strategy of narrative control escalated within the halls of the City Council. On August 13, opposition Councilor Sheen Marie Mabilog was barred by the council majority from delivering a privilege speech on the very same RPT-inflation link. The attempt to silence a duly elected official on a matter of urgent public concern is an affront to democratic discourse. A healthy government does not fear scrutiny; it invites it. By shutting down debate, the administration sends a chilling message: it is not interested in a discussion that it cannot control. This isn’t leadership; it is the management of political optics at the expense of public welfare.

While this political drama unfolds, the “kitchen table” issues persist. The PSA’s own data shows that the “Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels” group is the primary driver of inflation in the city, with actual rentals for housing posting a 5.3% inflation rate in July. This is no political fabrication; it is the lived experience of renters like Kian Llyod, a student whose monthly lodging cost has steadily climbed. It is the business calculation of apartment owners like Gemma, who must pass on increased costs to stay afloat.

The city government was right to address the 18-year lapse in property valuation, as prompted by the Commission on Audit. Revenue generation is essential for public service. However, the implementation of such a drastic hike requires transparency, empathy, and an honest assessment of its impact—not denial and deflection.

The administration has extended tax discounts, and for that, it should be acknowledged. But these measures are temporary balms on a wound that continues to fester. The fundamental problem now transcends economics. It is a crisis of accountability.

Iloilo City deserves leaders who will confront difficult truths, not explain them away. It needs a government that listens to its people, not one that tells them their struggles are “just politics.”