ILOILO City – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. and former Iloilo City mayor Jerry Treñas have both weighed in on the explosive allegations dragging Uswag Ilonggo party-list’s Cong. James “Jojo” Ang to flood control project kickbacks, urging that the controversy be settled in the proper forum.
Defensor, who also chairs the Uswag Ilonggo oarty-list in Western Visayas, stressed that the investigation must be allowed to run its course.
“Cong. Jojo Ang has recently issued an official statement regarding the ongoing inquiries and discussions taking place in Congress. For me, it is crucial that we let the congressional process continue. At this point, there’s nothing more that we can add to the situation,” Defensor said.
He added: “Wala na kita may madugang dira, may forum na. Let us allow the investigation to continue.”
Treñas, meanwhile, distanced himself from the party-list group, saying he was never involved in its management.
“Uswag Iloilo began as my slogan in 2001, which later evolved into a party-list, but I was never an officer. The party-list has since been actively managed by Cong. Jojo Ang, who has already denied the allegations against him and will answer them in due time,” Treñas explained.
The former mayor also declared: “I fully support the House and Senate inquiries, reiterating my firm stance against corruption.”
Both officials made it clear that the accusations hurled before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee should be tested in the investigation, not in the arena of speculation and political intrigue.
Ang himself has issued a firm denial after being tagged in an alleged kickback scheme involving DPWH flood-control projects.
“I strongly and categorically deny the baseless accusations linking me to alleged corrupt practices and illegal acts. The ongoing flood-control investigation is a serious matter. I am totally surprised that my name has been mentioned,” Ang declared in an official statement.
The Uswag Ilonggo is a sectoral representation group in the House of Representatives. It was created to give voice to Ilonggos — people from Iloilo and the wider Western Visayas — in Congress through the party-list system under the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
The name traces back to “Uswag Iloilo”, the development slogan of then-Iloilo City mayor Jerry Treñas in 2001. Over time, it evolved into a party-list group, though Treñas himself clarified he was never an officer or actively managing it.
Like other party-list organizations, it is supposed to push for legislation and programs that benefit its constituents — in this case, Ilonggos, particularly in areas of livelihood, development, and regional concerns./PN
