Treñas Hints at 2028 Congress Comeback

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas has expressed openness to returning to the House of Representatives in 2028, several months before the 2025 elections.

Treñas made the statement on Monday, December 9, during an informal meeting with city department heads, where they discussed key government matters.

Among the topics were the Collective Negotiation Agreement for regular employees, the Service Recognition Incentive and gratuity pay for job hires, the city’s economic development, and ongoing infrastructure projects.

“I also expressed my optimism about the future, hinting that by 2028, there’s a possibility I might return to Congress. Wherever the path may lead, my commitment to Iloilo City’s continued progress will always remain steadfast,” Treñas said in a statement.

This comes after his statement on Friday, December 6, where he expressed interest in a “stress-free” life outside politics, focusing on limited law practice and spending time as a grandfather.

Treñas previously served as representative of Iloilo City’s lone district from 2010 to 2019, where he was aligned with the majority coalitions of Presidents Benigno Aquino III and Rodrigo Duterte.

The lone district seat will be vacant in 2028, as incumbent Rep. Julienne “Jam-Jam” Baronda will be term-limited.

Treñas also urged department heads to support his apparent successor, his daughter and mayoralty candidate Raisa Treñas-Chu, to ensure continuity of development initiatives from his administration.

“I encouraged the department heads and assistant department heads to help the incoming administration so that all of our programs would remain sustainable,” he said during a press conference.

“I gave examples of some cities where their mayors only served one or two terms, and there was no sustainability of programs. Unlike here, we can see that we can sustain [our progress],” he added.

Raisa Treñas-Chu is one of two mayoralty candidates in the 2025 elections, alongside independent candidate Roland Magahin, a business owner and former market vendor.