‘I AM UNWELCOME’: Pacanan skips City Council hearing anew

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

The second quad committee hearing on flood projects by the Iloilo City Council on Aug. 28 will again proceed without Department of Public Works and Highways–Iloilo City District Engineering Office officer-in-charge Rodney Pacanan.

In an Aug. 26 letter to Councilor Romel Duron, Pacanan said his continued absence stems from the city government’s declaration of him as persona non grata.

“It is like entering a house where we are not welcome,” he said, adding that his attendance would contradict the city government’s stance against him.

Pacanan argued that the City Council’s June 2024 resolution declaring him unwelcome did not undergo the three-reading rule, violating Section 2 of the council’s Internal Rules and Procedures.

He compared this with DPWH projects, which, he said, were delayed because the same rule was strictly enforced.

“In light of the foregoing, our office must respectfully decline participation in the scheduled hearing,” he said.

He added that his office is still awaiting instructions from the DPWH Central Office on whether to participate in legislative hearings.

The City Council earlier said it was considering lifting the declaration to compel Pacanan’s attendance, while Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu said she would review the measure.

She maintained, however, that the persona non grata resolution should not prevent Pacanan from appearing before the council.

Pacanan said the DPWH Central Office has already ordered its Quality Assurance Unit to validate projects with representatives from the Commission on Audit and Iloilo City officials.

He noted that a separate COA investigation is also underway.

He argued that probes into the controversial waterway and flood control projects should be impartial and led by technically qualified personnel, not political inquiries.

On Aug. 21, the City Council conducted its own inspection of an ongoing project in Mansaya Creek.

Pacanan clarified that the project was implemented by the DPWH Regional Office, not the ICDEO, and said technical issues such as the Detailed Engineering Design and Certificate of Non-Coverage should be addressed to the regional office.

He further argued that flooding in the area was caused not by DPWH projects but by informal settlers and poor solid waste management, which he said fall under the jurisdiction of the city government.

He added that ICDEO’s own project in Mansaya, completed in 2022, complied with required coordination meetings with the barangay before construction began.