WILL POLITICAL DIVIDES CLOSE?: Treñas, Baronda join ‘reconciliation talks’

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The office of Iloilo City lone district Congresswoman Julienne “Jam-Jam” Baronda has confirmed meeting with key leaders of the ruling coalition, including House Speaker Martin Romualdez, and representatives from Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas’ camp earlier this week.

Baronda’s spokesperson, Stanley Flores, confirmed on Friday, September 27, that the meeting took place on Tuesday afternoon but noted that its details were initially kept confidential.

“The party leadership organized the meeting to help resolve differences among coalition members in certain areas of the country,” Flores said in a statement.

He explained that the meeting was convened at the request of Uswag Partylist Congressman James “Jojo” Ang Jr., who aimed to bring both sides together for potential reconciliation.

“The meeting was exploratory, and no final decision has been made, as Cong. Jam-Jam still needs to consult with her campaign team when she returns from Manila,” Flores added.

In an exclusive interview with Aksyon Radyo–Iloilo, Ang declined to comment on Baronda’s camp’s claim that he requested the meeting.

He clarified that he did not attend the closed-door session to avoid interfering but emphasized that there is no need for competition between Treñas and Baronda, suggesting that uniting would benefit their constituents.

Ang also clarified that it was not the Treñas camp that initiated the meeting request.

Joy Fantilaga, the mayor’s spokesperson, said Romualdez initiated the invitation at the request of Malacañang.

While both parties declined to disclose specific details, the Mayor’s slate, Team Uswag, expressed readiness to face political challenges ahead of the 2025 elections.

Fantilaga confirmed that although the party is open to discussions on reconciliation, they are prepared with a complete slate of candidates should the coalition talks not yield an agreement.

“Team Uswag has always prioritized good governance and the interests of the constituents over power and personal ambition. Out of respect for the Office of the Speaker, we were willing to listen,” Fantilaga quoted Mayor Treñas as saying.

The final list of candidates from Team Uswag is expected to be announced soon, while Baronda has already prepared her lineup for the 2025 midterm elections, despite not yet formally announcing her re-election bid.

Currently serving her second term, Baronda could face Raisa Treñas-Chu, the executive assistant and daughter of Mayor Treñas.

The mayor endorsed his daughter as early as March, indicating a political split with Baronda, who had been his ally in the past two elections.