Former Iloilo City mayor Jerry Treñas is pushing for the removal of engineer Roy Pacanan as head of the City District Engineering Office (CDEO) due to his alleged failure to efficiently implement infrastructure projects in the city.
In a statement on Saturday, Aug. 30, Treñas called on Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan and President Bongbong Marcos to “reassign Pacanan outside the city.”
According to the former mayor, the city “has long endured the many unfinished projects consisting of multi-purpose projects, DepEd (Department of Education) school buildings which are ‘completed’ but cannot be used, [and] uncompleted roads.”
He also mentioned “the super ‘delayed’ and ‘palpak’ flood control projects along waterways, which caused flooding in several barangays, causing damage to property and the unfortunate death of a child.”
As an ordinary private Ilonggo, Treñas appealed for “transparency.”
“I want to understand why these DPWH projects are delayed and palpak—furthermore, after understanding why, I want to know who should be responsible for them,” he said.
“I also want to see where the ‘ghost’ projects are and how these projects were undertaken. I am a simple and private Ilonggo now, and I want to understand what exactly happened?”
In a radio interview on Aug. 14, Bonoan said he sees no reason to remove Pacanan from his post.
“I have not received any derogatory complaints regarding technical competence and integrity in the implementation of projects,” he told Aksyon Radyo Iloilo.
“I do not have any reason why he should not continue in that position,” Bonoan added.IMT
