Citing alleged inefficiency and disrespect, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas has declared the head of the local Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) district engineering office a ‘persona non grata’ or unacceptable person in the city.
Treñas said a copy of the resolution would be sent to DPWH Western Visayas director Sanny Oropel and to the office of DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, explaining the nature of the controversy.
“I will be declaring the District Engineer of the City District Office of the Department of Public Works in Iloilo City persona non grata… We cannot work with people who do not respect the highest elected official of the city government,” Treñas said.
The mayor also charged that multiple projects in the city, which he described as “white elephants,” as the main reason behind his displeasure with the district engineer’s performance.
Treñas was referring to infrastructure projects that have been completed, but remained unused and non-functional for several years.
He asserted that the unused projects “wasted significant resources and have caused frustration among the city’s residents.”
Treñas said while he has the highest respect for Bonoan, Oropel and other DPWH personnel, he could not stand the district engineer assigned to Iloilo City.
“This DE of yours has gone beyond normal norms in civilized society. If he cannot even show respect for me as the highest elected official in the city, then he has no place here in the city,” Treñas noted in a statement posted recently on his official Facebook page.
Earlier, Treñas ordered the DPWH-Iloilo City District Engineering Office to vacate its premises located in Fort San Pedro Drive which is owned by the city government.
This directive arose from the city’s need for the lot to construct a new office for the Iloilo City Traffic Management Unit, or to expand the Iloilo City College to accommodate the growing number of students.
The district engineer reportedly complied with the order and vacated the premises on June 7.