WHO OWNS WHAT?: Baronda, Treñas-Chu Clash Over Legislative Building Use

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Just three days into her term, Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu is already in conflict with Vice Mayor Julie Grace “Love-Love” Baronda over office space assignments at the city’s new legislative building.

After meeting for the first time on Tuesday, July 1, the two officials disagreed over the use of a third-floor office.

Baronda, who initiated the meeting, said the issue was not fully discussed but claimed the mayor committed to resolving it.

A June 11 memorandum signed by former Mayor Jerry Treñas assigned the third floor to three city councilors and executive assistants under the Mayor’s Office.

The sixth floor was designated for the Office of the Vice Mayor, the Sangguniang Panlungsod Secretariat and supplies.

As of July 2, however, the disputed third-floor office—initially meant for mayoral staff—was being used by personnel from the Vice Mayor’s Office, the City Agriculture Office, and two mayoral task forces: Moral Values Formation and ASIS.

Baronda argued the legislative building should house only legislative offices due to limited space.

She noted that the SP has over 80 personnel and her office employs more than 30 staff, which cannot be accommodated on the sixth floor alone.

Tensions rose Tuesday afternoon when Baronda’s staff, while preparing to occupy the office, were approached by City Agriculture and Legal Office staff and a police officer who reportedly tried to reclaim the space.

“Our staff asked if there is an order but they did not show one, so we continued preparing and cleaning the office,” Baronda said.

“To our surprise, by 7 a.m. today, without notice or the document we asked for, furniture from the City Agriculture Office was already moved in.”

She said the CAO was not among those listed in the June 11 memo and that no amended memo had been officially served to her office.

“If we are being restricted from the Legislative Building, where else should we go, being part of the city’s legislative body?” she said in Hiligaynon.

Treñas-Chu said she is willing to assist Baronda but emphasized the need to respect official processes and mandates.

She cited Section 455 (b)(1)(ix) of the Local Government Code of 1991, which grants the mayor the authority to assign office space in city-owned or leased buildings.

“This authority is given to the mayor, and the final prerogative over workspace use belongs to the mayor,” she said.

Treñas-Chu urged Baronda to respect the memo from the previous administration that allocated the sixth floor exclusively to the vice mayor’s office.

However, the June 11 memo described the sixth floor as shared with SP staff, not solely for the vice mayor.

While acknowledging the mayor’s appeal for respect, Baronda maintained that the legislative department, as a co-equal branch of government, deserves its share of space.

“I understand other departments need offices, but I hope they also understand the SP needs space for our employees to work properly,” she said.

BUILDING RENAMED

On Wednesday afternoon, Treñas-Chu issued a memo barring Baronda from occupying the contested third-floor Unit 12.

The memo also renamed the legislative building – previously designated as such by Jerry Treñas – to the Multipurpose Building.

Treñas-Chu explained that the third floor has been allocated to executive offices long lacking permanent workspaces.

Her July 2 memo reassigned the third floor to three councilors, the executive assistant on Moral Values, CAO extensions, the Anti-Smoking Task Force and other mayoral executive assistants.

The 590-square-meter sixth floor remains for the vice mayor’s office, SP Secretariat and supplies.

To accommodate Baronda’s request for more space, the SP Archive and Library will be moved to the seventh floor.

“This will make sure I can provide you with the additional space as your (sic) requested,” Treñas-Chu said.