‘WE DON’T KNOW ANYTHING’: City Hall keeps distance from alleged AICS cash skimming

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu has cleared herself and the city government of any role in the alleged large-scale cash skimming from the distributed Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS) program, reiterating her stance that she cannot comment fully until she receives copies of the administrative complaints filed.

Treñas-Chu said she is not fully aware of the details of the cases filed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) against two City Hall employees and 12 barangay officials.

“We are waiting on what they filed because until now we have not received any,” she said during her first press conference with City Hall beat reporters after three months, on Wednesday, Dec. 17.

City Hall officials initially insisted that the press conference should only cover questions on her first six months in office, her Christmas and New Year messages, and plans for 2026, but reporters pressed for comment on other issues.

The mayor’s remarks were consistent with her response on Dec. 11, the day the cases were filed, when she emphasized that she could only give a thorough comment once she received a copy of the complaint.

It should be noted that the complaints were filed not against the city government nor against the mayor.

Under the Ombudsman’s administrative procedures, only the respondents, or the individuals charged, are formally furnished copies so they can file their answers; nonrespondents like Treñas-Chu in this case are not mandatory recipients.

When asked about allegations that the AICS cuts were “orchestrated and systematic,” Treñas-Chu avoided directly responding and stressed that she remains focused on her work as mayor.

“I’ve been working with blinders because if I only focus on those issues, there are a lot of things that we need to fix. That is why I have to wait for the final because if I react to everything they say, it is better if we wait for the final papers (sic). If I react to everything, we cannot work anymore,” she said.

“I think uh we have to focus on the goal. Our goal is to make sure that we can meet our vision for the city,” she added.

NO HAND IN ANOMALY

Treñas-Chu categorically denied that the city government had any role in the anomaly, despite DSWD’s investigation pointing to a “command and control group” behind the scheme.

“None at all, none at all. Yesterday I’ve been receiving some, uh, reports no, um but like you said, it’s politics […] I do not give much attention to politics because if I give attention to it, we won’t be able to do our work,” she said.

“I can say with conviction, we have no hand in the anomaly,” she emphasized, stressing that her primary focus is public service and governance.

The mayor also viewed the filing of charges as a chance for the implicated barangay officials to clear their names.

When asked about her message to other barangay officials amid the scandal, she said she is leaving the issue with the City Legal Office.

Treñas-Chu also explained that barangay captains only provide certification of indigency or validation of beneficiaries as part of the initial eligibility screening for the program and that DSWD retains control over fund release and payout.

However, the DSWD previously clarified that deductions did not occur during the payout itself; beneficiaries were reportedly coerced by barangay officials to surrender PHP 8,000 to PHP 9,000 of the PHP 10,000 assistance after leaving the payout centers.

As for the two City Hall employees implicated in the case, Treñas-Chu declined to confirm their current status, noting only that contracts for job order and contract-of-service workers are under review until Dec. 31.