City Hall seeks transparency from next ICDEO chief

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Officials of the Iloilo City government said they hope the next head of the Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO) will be more transparent and cooperative to ensure infrastructure projects align with approved city plans.

The ICDEO oversees the planning, implementation and maintenance of national and local infrastructure projects in Iloilo City, including flood control systems, roads and public buildings.

ICDEO officer in charge Roy Pacanan was relieved after failing to meet the Civil Service Commission’s qualification standards required for district engineers.

“We are hoping that the replacement will be committed to transparency and has proper coordination with the city government,” Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu said in a statement Tuesday, Jan. 13.

Treñas-Chu said close coordination is crucial to preventing project-related issues and ensuring residents benefit from government-funded infrastructure.

“We look forward to working closely with the next ICDEO head,” she added.

She said the city’s priority is to ensure public infrastructure projects are safe, usable and compliant with approved plans, while safeguarding public funds.

Councilor Romel Duron welcomed Pacanan’s relief, calling it a “good development” for the city as the new year begins.

Duron said the next ICDEO chief must be “cooperative and qualified,” noting that Pacanan had been “too defensive” and overly political in dealing with city officials.

“Whatever happens, the future should be the primary concern, whether you are Treñas and Baronda,” Duron said. “He should just do his job. Not just because we invite him, he will just accuse us of politicizing the issue.”

Duron was referring to Pacanan’s repeated absences from City Council quad committee hearings that sought to examine ICDEO flood control and waterway projects.

Pacanan earlier cited the city government’s declaration of him as persona non grata and the council’s alleged lack of authority to conduct an “investigation in aid of legislation.”

Duron also described Pacanan’s performance as “below par,” citing his refusal to appear before the quad committee hearings on waterways.

In September last year, Duron filed a resolution calling for Pacanan’s courtesy resignation.

Meanwhile, Councilor Nene Dela Llana said he expects the next ICDEO head to conduct a thorough review of all ongoing and completed projects initiated under Pacanan’s leadership.

Dela Llana said Pacanan “deserved” his relief, stressing that residents of a highly urbanized city like Iloilo deserve a qualified district engineer.

“His relief should have happened way before. Since he is not qualified, that is at the expense of the Ilonggos,” he said.

He added that Pacanan should have resigned earlier as a matter of “delicadeza,” especially amid public criticism linked to the city’s persistent flooding problems.