Let Ex-Mayor Treñas Cry; It’s Healthy

By Alex P. Vidal 

“Sometimes crying or laughing are the only options left, and laughing feels better right now.” ― Veronica Roth, Divergent

SOME elected officials who wept as they bade goodbye to their offices became emotional not because they would no longer be part of the incoming administration that blasted off on June 30, 2025.

Some of those reactions were tears of relief and the thought they might not be able to do some of the herculean tasks they have been doing spontaneously once they have retired.

For outgoing Iloilo City mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas, his tears were probably an expression of solace and mixed feelings of exhilaration and abatement after what his family went through before, during, and after the election.

It’s understandable. They nearly lost everything in the face of tough challenges marshaled by the surging Baronda clan that did not even collide with them head-on in the congressional and mayoral jousts.

At least the Treñas clan was able to secure the City Hall with the election of daughter, Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu.

That alone was a big reason to shed a tear or two.

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If his daughter did not run or win, the tears that fell from former mayor Treñas’ eyes when City Hall employees sang the late Kenny Rogers’ “Through the years” last week would have gesticulated a more somber and melancholic meaning.

If no Treñas was in the helm of power after the May 12, 2025 election, even an attempt to shed tears would be toilsome and grody.

Crying in public is not a sign of weakness especially if it is all about nostalgia and euphoric moments like saying farewell to co-workers, friends, party mates, the surroundings.

Crying can symbolize a range of emotions, from sadness and grief to joy or even spiritual cleansing.

It is healthy and good for the heart and mind. Let those who wish to cry for a purpose do the crying some more.

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WE were surprised to learn that billionaire oligarch Elon Musk was in the news again after a brief hiatus when he severed ties with his erstwhile BFF, President Donald Trump, three weeks ago.

Occupy Democrats reported that the richest man on this planet again “stabs Donald Trump in the back in jaw-dropping fashion” and reportedly announced he would fund primary challenges to every Republican lawmaker who votes to pass the “big, beautiful bill.”

“Every member of Congress who campaigned on reducing government spending and then immediately voted for the biggest debt increase in history should hang their head in shame! And they will lose their primary next year if it is the last thing I do on this Earth,” Musk wrote on X.

Not only that, but Musk is now threatening to form a new political party if the bills pass.

“It is obvious with the insane spending of this bill, which increases the debt ceiling by a record FIVE TRILLION DOLLARS that we live in a one-party country – the PORKY PIG PARTY!!” he tweeted.  “Time for a new political party that actually cares about the people.”

“While Musk is correct that this bill is awful in every sense, his claim that we have a ‘one-party country’ is patently absurd, as evidenced by the fact that Democrats are aggressively opposing this bill, says Occupy Democrats.

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“How can you call yourself the Freedom Caucus if you vote for a DEBT SLAVERY bill with the biggest debt ceiling increase in history?” Musk added, tagging Republican Congressmen Andy Harris and Senator Chip Roy.

“If this insane spending bill passes, the America Party will be formed the next day.   Our country needs an alternative to the Democrat-Republican uniparty so that the people actually have a VOICE,” he wrote in another post.

The idea that Musk “actually cares about the people” is laughable at face value, but his attacks on this bill are more than welcome. Even if his motivations are suspect, any and all opposition to this destructive bill is to be encouraged.

The former close ally of Trump — who accused the president of being in the Jeffrey Epstein files only to later delete the allegation — has been an outspoken critic of the bill for months because it skyrockets the national debt. If passed, the ugly, bloated legislation would wipe out any so-called “savings” stemming from Musk’s DOGE cuts.

While increasing the national debt to pave the way for more tax cuts for the rich and corporations is certainly a betrayal of the American people, it’s the other elements of the bill that are the biggest cause for concern for the rest of us. Trump’s bill devastates Medicaid with brutal cuts, balloons the Pentagon’s budget (which in turn incentivizes more wars), targets migrants with brutal new policies, and slashes access to food stamps. Passing this bill will prove to be a historic mistake for the United States of America.

According to Occupy Democrats, Republicans got into bed with Musk thinking that his money would assure their political success. Now he’s turning on them, and that very same money could spell their political doom. Good. As the saying goes: “If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.”

(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)