FOR SMOOTH POWER TRANSFER: City Hall transition teams meet today

By: Emme Rose Santiagudo 

THE transition teams of outgoing Mayor Espinosa III and his brother-in-law, lone district Rep. and incoming mayor Jerry Treñas are set to meet today, June 21, 2019 at the Pension House, City Hall to ensure smooth transfer of power.

General Services Office (GSO) head Joren Sartorio said City Administrator Hernando Galvez issued a memorandum setting up the meeting between the two transition teams.

Based on the memorandum, all respective offices are required to submit specific documents, Sartorio added.

“The offices are required to submit specific documents. GSO was instructed to submit sang amon report sa status sang mga properties sang siyudad, that includes real properties and personal properties of the city government,” he said.

According to Sartorio, the incoming administration needs the records and documents to serve as their basis and guide them once they assume authority.

“Ang incoming administration kinahanglan may records man to begin with sa ila administration, ang purpose para indi naman sila mangapa pa whatever transactions, projects, properties, assets sang siyudad during the present administration and for the purposes nga ma-audit niya man,” he said.

Sartorio said that they are ready for the transition, emphasizing that they are in constant communication with the members of the transition team of Mayor-elect Treñas.

“Ang mga transition team members ni Mayor-elect are in constant communication man sa aton kung may ara sila gusto nga assistance para smooth ang pagsulod nila. We are cooperating with them para wala na sang gap na mahulat ta pa pila ka adlaw bag-o sila maoperate sa City Hall,” he said.

Espinosa organized the Iloilo City Local Governance Transition Team (LGTT) through Executive Order No. 22-A issued on March 13, 2019.

The transition team was headed by Espinosa including all department heads of the City Hall, Atty. Ferdinand Panes, city director of the DILG and Ramon Cua Locsin, president of the Iloilo Federation of Filipino Chamber of Commerce of Panay.

After winning the May 13 elections, Treñas also issued a memorandum on May 18 organizing his own transition team headed by incoming Chief of Staff Jonas Bellosillo and incoming City Administrator Melchor Tan.

Treñas will assume office noontime of June 30, 2019.