On the Treñas-Baronda ‘peace pact’

By Herbert Vego

MY column dated October 4, 2024 has turned out right.  I said:

“The fight has ended before it began. Congresswoman Julienne Baronda has lost her opportunity to defend her House seat against Raisa Treñas-Chu, only daughter of Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.”

In other words, both ladies would run unopposed for different positions.

It was my reaction to the mayor’s signed statement assuring the congresswoman that his daughter would no longer run against her but would run for mayor instead, filling his present niche. The deal would catapult the two ladies to the winning line without waiting for the May 12, 2025 election.

The proposal obviously did not sit well with Baronda, since it would displease former mayor Jed Mabilog, who was to be her running mate for mayor. In fact, their thousands of common supporters had been attending public fora to openly root for their Team Gugma.

Alas and alack, during their pre-announced “proclamation rally” at the University of San Agustin gym on the morning of October 8, deadline for filing of certificate of candidacy, Mabilog unhappily said the opposite of what the crowd had expected.

He briefly talked about his “ultimate sacrifice” that would abort his game plan.

“I will fight another day,” he placated his followers.

If it’s any consolation for them, Mabilog was heeding the warning that he is barred from running for any elective position because of a dismissal order from the Office of the Ombudsman over a pending graft case about a government contract awarded to 3L Towing Services in January 2015, which had not undergone public bidding.

From another angle, it was a last-minute joint statement by Baronda and  Treñas that aborted their clash.

Of course, we in the media are not privy to the nitty-gritty of the “negotiation” that must have preceded the decision.

Like Jed, many others are not happy, though. The congresswoman’s sister, Love Joy Baronda, is not part of the deal; and thus, would have to unseat re-electionist Vice-Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon in election 2025.

Moreover, both camps have different sets of candidates for councilors to worry about.

Most unhappy are their political leaders who fear holding an empty bag between now and May 12, 2025.

What about the voters?

Hibi?

-oOo-

REHAB OF MOLO SUBSTATION

IN pursuit of its five-year modernization program, MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) has energized its newly-rehabilitated Molo substation.

In a press conference in that station yesterday, MORE Power President/CEO Roel Z. Castro broke the good news that the new substation is now operational after 15 months of installation.  It can be remotely operated from the distribution utility’s command center.

In the interregnum, the area covered by the Molo substation had made use of a mobile substation that serves the purpose of substitution wherever needed.

Castro apologized for the power outages that the old substation had suffered from due to old age, since it was merely taken over from the previous franchisee.

Next in line for rehabilitation are the Mandurriao and Arevalo substations.

“When we came in almost five years ago,” Castro said, “I announced that it would take five years to complete rehabilitation work.  In February, 2025, we will be completing five years of existence.”

Still, it is impossible to please everybody whenever brownouts occur to allow rehab work.  Somebody even posted this line on FB, “Isumbong kay Tulfo.”