Is Treñas ‘safe’ for reelection?

By Alex P. Vidal

“If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve.”—William Tecumseh Sherman

IF Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas will continue to focus his energy and time as a pro-active local chief executive and retains his distinction as the top performing mayor in Western Visayas, the Marcos administration might think twice if it will field a strong candidate against him in the 2025 mayoral race.

Treñas recently garnered 86.7 percent to top the latest survey conducted by the RP-Mission Development Foundation Inc. (RPMD) besting 14 other mayors in the region.

The Marcos administration will most likely support Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, who went all-out for then “presidential candidate BBM”, if Ganzon decides to run against Treñas.

The speculations that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will field one of his sons in an elective position in Iloilo City will remain a speculation until both the father Marcos Jr. and First Lady Marie Louise “Liza” Araneta-Marcos will themselves confirm and announce it.

If true, it will be most likely in the congressional office.

Either a Marcos son will collide versus incumbent Rep. Julienne “Jam” Baronda (who ironically also went for then “presidential candidate BBM” in the 2022 presidential election), or a second district in Iloilo City “will be created” through a legislation to accommodate the Marcos son.

Again, everything will remain a speculation until the political grapevine finally reveals the real cards.

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The IVLP Impact Awards is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and is supported in its implementation by Meridian International Center. For press inquiries, please contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at ECA-Press@state.gov. To learn more about the IVLP Impact Awards and its recipients, please visit: https://eca.state.gov/ivlp/ivlp-impact-awards.

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