Crippling Political Feud

When politics gets in the way of governance, the real losers are always the people. The ongoing fracas over unfinished infrastructure projects in Iloilo City is a prime example of how political conflicts breed inefficiency and delay progress.

What began as a partnership between Mayor Jerry Treñas and Representative Julienne Baronda has devolved into a public feud that threatens to leave essential community facilities in limbo.

The timing of these complaints about project delays and permit issues is telling. These concerns emerged only after the political alliance between Treñas and Baronda fractured, reportedly due to the mayor’s support for his daughter Raisa as Baronda’s potential replacement (Raisa is now running for mayor, replacing her dad Jerry).

Before their falling out, there was notably little discussion about missing permits or construction delays.

This political theater has real victims. Market vendors at the incomplete Mandurriao Public Market struggle with their livelihoods while waiting for the facility’s completion. Community members, particularly youth, are denied access to multipurpose buildings that should serve as vital spaces for recreation and gatherings.

The very constituents both officials claim to serve bear the brunt of their political warfare.

The accusations flying between both camps further illustrate how political interests have overshadowed public service. While Baronda dismisses the complaints as politically motivated attacks, Treñas’s administration highlights project delays and threatens to restrict DPWH’s access to city-owned land.

Lost in this crossfire are the actual needs of Iloilo City’s residents.

Perhaps most troubling are allegations that some barangay captains are being pressured to leave completed facilities unused until after elections – a claim that, if true, represents a particularly cynical form of political manipulation. Such tactics transform public infrastructure from community assets into political pawns.

As election season approaches, voters must carefully consider who truly bears responsibility for these delays and disruptions. More importantly, they should question a political culture that allows essential public services to become casualties of personal ambitions and political vendettas.

The unfinished buildings and delayed projects scattered across Iloilo City stand as monuments to a fundamental truth: when political leaders prioritize power struggles over public service, it’s the community that suffers.

Until officials can set aside their differences and focus on their primary duty – serving their constituents – the city’s development will remain hostage to political whims.