Mayor’s Thunder and the PLDT Debacle

By The Sunriser

Mayor Jerry Treñas is never one to shy away from a challenge—especially when his administration is caught in an embarrassing moment, such as losing internet connectivity during a critical period.

The mayor’s recent tirade against PLDT, demanding refunds for disrupted services, might seem like a heroic stand for the people. But scratch the surface, and the plot thickens: could this have been a preventable mishap with proper foresight, like backup internet solutions?

Treñas, from his perch on what we now dub “Mount Olampus,” has turned his social media presence into a lightning rod for grievances, summoning thunderous rebukes to companies that dare to disrupt his city’s daily operations. PLDT, seemingly unprepared for this Olympian wrath, has had to grovel with apologies and promises of high-grade fiber fixes.

The mayor’s indignation mirrors his earlier exploits, such as when he flexed his online muscles over potholes on an airport runway. These crusades earn applause, but they also raise a curious question: what happens when the tables are turned?

If telcos can be threatened with lawsuits for service interruptions, can the public not sue local government units for lapses in governance—such as the absence of contingencies to keep essential services running? After all, the outage did not just inconvenience residents; it exposed City Hall’s lack of foresight.

For a city that boasts of being progressive, reliant on digital systems, and committed to modernization, the incident is telling. The outage revealed cracks in its governance, proving that lofty slogans and PR stunts are no substitutes for preparation and resilience.

While PLDT must certainly step up, so must City Hall. The people of Iloilo City deserve not just leaders who can hurl thunderbolts but those who can build stormproof systems.

If accountability is demanded of corporations, why not of local governments too?