Treñas open to mending ties with Joe Espinosa

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas expressed willingness to end his conflict with election rival and former city mayor Jose “Joe” Espinosa III.

“I am ready [to reconcile] for the sake of the family. It’s about time to bury the hatchet after so many years,” he said in a press conference on Monday, July 15.

Treñas’ statement followed the surfacing of a photo of his children, executive assistant Raisa Treñas-Chu and City Councilor Miguel Treñas, with Espinosa at a local coffee shop last week.

The mayor admitted surprise at the photo but acknowledged his children’s close relationship with Espinosa.

“First of all, I did not know. I was surprised when I saw the picture being posted on social media. I did not know that they were going to see former Mayor Joe Espinosa III,” he said.

“The children are really close to Joe if I can call him that. For me, that’s okay,” Treñas added.

Espinosa and Treñas are brothers-in-law, as Espinosa’s wife, Gina Sarabia, is the sister of Rosalie Sarabia, who is married to Mayor Treñas.

They were once political allies, running on the same slate and winning together, with Espinosa as vice mayor and Treñas as congressman, in 2010, 2013, and 2016.

During these terms, Jed Patrick Mabilog served as mayor.

In the 2019 elections, the three officials were set to shuffle their positions after completing their three consecutive terms.

However, Mabilog fled the country in late 2017 when his name appeared on then-president Rodrigo Duterte’s “narco list.”

Espinosa assumed the role of city mayor after the Office of the Ombudsman issued a series of dismissal orders against Mabilog.

The relationship between Espinosa and Treñas soured when Treñas decided to run for city mayor in 2019. Treñas asked Espinosa to run as his congressman in the 2019 elections, but Espinosa declined.

Treñas secured the mayoral seat with a significant lead against his brother-in-law.

In the 2022 elections, Treñas supported Julienne Baronda for the city’s lone congressional seat, while Espinosa ran against Baronda but lost.

Treñas said his history of political rivalry with Espinosa is in the past and things have changed since the elections were won.

“For me, everything is already in the past. Even political opponents, after the election, [is getting back to normal],” he said.