Iloilo City’s 3 Princesses and A Poker Player

By Alex P. Vidal 

“I was once like you are now and I know that it’s not easy; To be calm when you’ve found something going on; But take your time, think a lot; Think of everything you’ve got; For you will still be here tomorrow but your dreams may not.” —Cat Stevens in a song, “Father and Son”

IT’S a misnomer to call outgoing Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas’ non-participation in the recently held May 12, 2025 election as “a retirement in politics.”

No, he “won’t” retire; no, he “can’t” retire.

In the next three years, Treñas is expected to politically baby-sit neophyte Mayor-elect Raisa Maria Lourdes Sarabia Treñas-Chu or Mayor Treñas-Chu, 39.

What kind of a father is Treñas if after bringing her daughter to the pedestal, he’ll frolic in the autumn mist while she’s tasked holding the heavens on her shoulders like Atlas Shrugged?

“Retire” as a candidate he did, but he will have to be a “Daddy Mayor” for the “Daughter Mayor” who will chart the affairs of the Iloilo City government sans any background as chief local executive until 2028.

Daddy Mayor has to stay in the front seat while Daughter Mayor drives the six-wheeler truck in the next three years.

“Walang iwanan, Daddy Mayor. I didn’t wish to be catapulted into the big league so that you will just leave me here alone to go home, eat popcorn, and sleep.”

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All eyes and ears will be on Mayor Treñas-Chu starting Day One. While party mates, friends, classmates and relatives will wish her the best of luck and success, jealous characters and political enemies will wait to see her slip in the banana peel.

Daddy Mayor can’t afford to hand over ammunition to critics. Three princesses are now lording over the metro politics: Daughter Mayor, reelected lone district Rep. Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda, and her younger sister Vice Mayor-elect Love-Love Baronda.

One false move or fatal mistake on the part of the current City Hall powers that be and a stroke of fate, any of the two Baronda political princesses can take over the helm and oust Daughter Mayor in 2028.

With three energetic princesses dominating the metropolis’ political landscape in the next three years, Daddy Mayor will have to scrap any vacation plans and play a political poker to shield Daughter Mayor and ensure her survival and success.

The game plan includes taking calculated risks and concealing intentions during the Daughter Mayor’s incumbency. The critical stage is the first 100 days.

The three political princesses are expected to collaborate on certain matters concerning governance and implementation of projects, policies, and ordinances.

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Daddy Mayor may employ aggressive tactics for Daughter Mayor, the most vulnerable of the three political princesses, to put pressure on potential “opponents,” and force them to make difficult decisions or potentially fold, akin to a poker player betting aggressively to push opponents off a pot.

Extended political battles, like long poker tournaments, require patience, endurance, and the ability to withstand pressure and setbacks. Three years are too short to relax and lower the guards down.

Instead of watching from behind the scenes or speeding off after bringing the daughter to the bus station, Daddy Mayor will have to start analyzing the political landscape, identifying weaknesses in their opponents’ positions or vulnerabilities in their support, and capitalizing on those weaknesses.

Instead of openly antagonizing the two sister political princesses, Daddy Mayor must act like a skillful poker player, understand the art of negotiation, knowing when to hold firm, when to compromise, and when to make deals to achieve their political objectives and ensure that Daughter Mayor remains in the City Hall beyond 2028.

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There were stories about the Trojan Horse of Arrogance and the Cat and the Curiosity in UpliftWithQuotes.

First a Trojan Horse made of arrogance, rolled into the city gates of your plans. You think you’ve won the war, but surprise! Your opponent jumps out, armed with unforeseen tactics. Underestimation is like assuming a QR code is just a square of random shapes—until you scan it, and it leads you to a world of unexpected wonders.

Also, remember the cat, curiosity, and that proverbial bag? Underestimating your opponent is like thinking your cat won’t knock over the vase just because it’s done so a hundred times before. Surprise, surprise! The vase lies shattered, and your opponent is already planning their next move.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)