A heated discussion erupted at the Sangguniang Panlungsod as Councilor Jose Maria Dela Llana took the floor to denounce Iloilo City District Engineering Office (ICDEO) head Engr. Roy Pacanan for once again dodging a council inquiry—branding his absence as a political excuse rather than a valid reason.
In his privilege speech on Wednesday, August 20, Dela Llana stressed that Pacanan’s no-show at the August 11 QuadCom hearing deprived the public of answers on the ICDEO’s alleged dysfunctional projects.
“This is not about pamulitika, Engr. Pacanan. This is about transparency. This is about accountability. This is about justice!” Dela Llana declared before the council.
The issue reignited when Councilor Miguel Treñas reminded colleagues that Pacanan had been declared persona non grata by his father, then-mayor Jerry Treñas, in 2024—a status Pacanan cites as his shield from attending City Hall hearings.
Treñas, however, argued that accountability should outweigh technicalities. He suggested Pacanan could easily ask Mayor Raisa Treñas to lift the ban so he could appear before the council on August 28.
“The city is open, the council is open. If I ask the mayor to lift the persona non grata, we can finally have Pacanan answer our questions,” Treñas said.
But Majority Floor Leader Rex Marcus Sarabia swiftly moved to retain the persona non grata order, a motion backed by the Majority Bloc, effectively blocking any chance of Pacanan’s return to the session hall.
The deadlock leaves the City Council divided—one camp demanding transparency and public accountability, the other keeping the gates shut on Pacanan—leaving taxpayers still in the dark about the state of ICDEO projects.IMT
