Mayor slams ICDEO on ‘coordination’ amid skipped hearings

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu criticized the Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO) for requesting coordination meetings while its top official repeatedly failed to attend key City Council hearings.

“They [ICDEO] are asking for coordination, we are also asking for coordination,” Treñas-Chu said during a press conference on Monday, September 1.

“We are willing to comply. Their presence was asked twice but they never attended.”

ICDEO officer-in-charge Roy Pacanan has skipped two quad committee hearings of the City Council focused on flood control projects.

He cited the council’s declaration of him as persona non grata and argued that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) central office has not directed him to attend.

Pacanan also maintained that the City Council has no legal authority to conduct investigations in aid of legislation.

“It depends on him if he ever attends,” Treñas-Chu said.

“What we are showing is we want to collaborate, cooperate for the betterment of everyone.”

She emphasized that if Pacanan is truly interested in collaboration, he should appear personally before the City Council.

The ICDEO has scheduled a coordination meeting with the city government on September 3.

Treñas-Chu said she has yet to formally respond to the request but assured that the city will comply to help ensure the smooth implementation of infrastructure projects.

She added she would assess the outcome of the meeting before deciding whether to require Pacanan to present ICDEO’s project plans to her personally.

Treñas-Chu declined to comment on whether she supports calls for Pacanan’s resignation or reassignment — a demand raised by some city councilors and former mayor Jerry Treñas.

For now, she said the decision rests with DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon.

“We believe that Secretary Vince will have the best decision,” she said.

“And being the new secretary, [I expect] that he will change or look at and revisit what is better for the department.”

On Monday, Dizon announced he would seek the courtesy resignations of all DPWH officials nationwide.

The directive covers undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, division heads, regional directors, and district engineers.

The move is part of what he described as a “clean sweep” to reform the department amid concerns over alleged anomalies and substandard flood control projects.