‘NO ONE IS SPARED’: Mayor backs probe amid Uswag Ilonggo’s imbroglio

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu expressed support for ongoing investigations into alleged corruption in flood control projects involving her former partymate, Uswag Ilonggo Rep. James “Jojo” Ang Jr.

In a statement, Treñas-Chu affirmed her commitment to transparency and accountability, saying she supports the creation of an independent commission to investigate and file charges against those responsible.

She also voiced support for the continued hearings in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The mayor stood by Ang, saying he has “denied the accusations and will defend himself in due time.”

She acknowledged she was once listed as Uswag Ilonggo’s second nominee in 2022 but clarified she joined the National Unity Party in early 2024 and ran under NUP in her 2025 mayoral bid.

During a Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing Monday, allegations surfaced that Ang received kickbacks from flood control projects in Iloilo City beginning in 2022, which he has denied.

Jeric Jucaban, secretary-general and founding member of Uswag Ilonggo, said he tendered his irrevocable resignation from the party-list on May 18, 2025.

A copy of his resignation obtained by Daily Guardian showed he informed Iloilo Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., chairperson of the Uswag Ilonggo Party Council of Representatives, that he stepped down due to limited recognition of his contributions despite his role in establishing the party.

Jucaban revealed he first proposed the idea to former Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas in 2017 as a platform to give Ilonggos a voice in Congress.

Jerry Treñas admitted to founding Uswag Ilonggo but denied direct involvement in its operations.

Jucaban said he invested his personal resources, time, and network to build the foundation of the party-list.

He said registration and early operations were complicated by political shifts, including former Senate President Frank Drilon’s decision not to pursue a congressional seat.

He acknowledged Ang’s role, citing his leadership, network, and resources as pivotal to the party’s success in the 2022 and 2025 elections.

Jucaban, however, said his contributions were unrecognized and he was relegated to the role of legal counsel without meaningful participation in decisions.

He said this was never what he envisioned when he proposed the party to Jerry Treñas.

“While I fully recognize the pivotal role of Cong. Jojo in the Party’s success, it is with deep sadness that I admit I have long felt that my own contributions—particularly in conceiving, organizing, and working on the registration of the Party—have not been acknowledged,” he wrote.

Jucaban said he now intends to form a new organization where his vision and efforts can be fully realized.

“I have come to accept that what I once hoped to build as a shared vision no longer holds space for me,” he said. “It is time I move forward, with no bitterness in my heart, and pursue the formation of a new organization that may offer the recognition and purpose I had initially sought.”