KEEP IT OR LIFT IT? City Council weighs in on Pacanan’s persona non grata tag

 By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Members of the Iloilo City Council are divided on whether to lift the persona non grata declaration against the Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO), a move some members believe could convince officer-in-charge Roy Pacanan to finally face the legislative body.

Pacanan previously said it would be “insulting” and “degrading” for him to appear before the council while he remains declared unwelcome.

Councilor Miguel Treñas, who authored the resolution declaring Pacanan persona non grata, is now open to reversing it.

He said the council could ask the mayor to withdraw the declaration, especially if doing so convinces Pacanan to attend the quad committee hearing on August 28.

“I think we are open. The city is open. The council is open. If he wants to lift the persona non grata, we can tell the mayor,” Treñas said.

In June 2024, the City Council passed a resolution reinforcing then-Mayor Jerry Treñas’ executive order declaring Pacanan persona non grata. Former councilor Urminico Baronda Jr. abstained from voting.

Treñas added that lifting the declaration would give Pacanan the opportunity to explain the alleged “ghost projects” of the ICDEO.

Majority Floor Leader Rex Marcus Sarabia opposed the proposal, stressing that the declaration is symbolic and has no legal effect.

“He is hiding behind legalese terms. The persona non grata has no legal effect. It does not prevent Pacanan from showing up at the council. The persona non grata has no penalty,” Sarabia said.

He warned that lifting the declaration would amount to condoning Pacanan’s actions toward the city government.

“If we do, we condone his actions. We favor his actions. We need to have a backbone here in the City Council,” he said.

Sarabia emphasized that Pacanan has a clear mandate to cooperate with local governments and maintained that the City Council’s investigation of flood projects is not redundant despite the ongoing Senate inquiry.

“We could not attain our localized solutions if we had half the information that is vitally produced and delivered by his good office,” he said.

Councilor Rudolph Ganzon proposed that the issue of lifting the persona non grata declaration or requesting Pacanan’s resignation be included in the agenda for the next session, a motion supported by other councilors.

‘RESIGN’

A city councilor has urged Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO) officer-in-charge Roy Pacanan to resign after repeatedly refusing to attend hearings and coordination meetings.

In a privilege speech on Wednesday, August 20, Councilor Jose Maria “Nene” Dela Llana said Pacanan’s continued absence from the City Council was not only a slight to the legislative body but also a disservice to the public.

“If a district engineer cannot explain to the very city council representing the people most affected by these projects, then he does not have the right to stay in his office,” Dela Llana said.

He stressed that Pacanan’s presence in hearings is crucial since he is the resource person who can explain project details, technicalities, environmental issues, and scientific studies related to ICDEO’s flood control works.

Pacanan skipped the quad committee hearing on August 11 regarding ICDEO’s projects along rivers, creeks, and waterways.

He later dismissed the inquiry as “in aid of political demolition,” insisting the City Council has no authority to conduct such investigations.

Dela Llana rejected this defense, saying Pacanan’s absence is a matter of transparency and accountability rather than politics.

“Politics, my foot. This is not about politics. This is about transparency. This is about accountability. This is about justice,” he said.

The councilor urged Pacanan to face the council or step down, reminding him that “public office is a public trust.”

“Be a man. Defend yourself, your name, and your honor,” he added.

Dela Llana also cited President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent remark on “delayed and substandard” flood structures in the city as a compelling reason for Pacanan to answer questions on ICDEO projects.

“This is not about personalities. This is not about politics. This is about the interests and the welfare of the Ilonggo people. This is for the common good,” he said.