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BY PRINCE GOLEZ, Manila Reporter
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MANILA – Rep. Jerry Treñas faces a criminal charge for the P1-million restoration of St. Anne Parish Church in Molo, Iloilo City when he was still the city’s mayor.
It was former congressman Raul Gonzalez Jr. who filed the complaint against Treñas. He claimed there were irregularities in the project.
The Ombudsman “established grounds” for the filing of a criminal charge for violation of Section 3(e) of RA 3019 against Treñas and Consolacion Tormon, former city accountant of Iloilo, “for manifest partiality and gross inexcusable negligence,” read part of the letter that Alfred Yann Oguis, officer-in-charge of the Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Office, sent to Gonzalez.
The letter was dated Oct. 17, 2016.
Constructed in 1831, the St. Anne Parish Church, also known as the Molo Church, is the only Gothic church in the Philippines outside of Manila. It is made of white corral rock.
Republic Act 3019 is the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Section 3 lists corrupt practices of public officers.
Item (e) of Section 3 deals about public officials “causing any undue injury to any party, including the government, or giving any private party any unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference in the discharge of his official administrative or judicial functions through manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence. This provision shall apply to officers and employees of offices or government corporations charged with the grant of licenses or permits or other concessions.”
Gonzalez said in a radio interview that he filed the complaint sometime after his father, former Justice secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr., died in Sept. 7, 2014.
Documents about the church’s restoration were among the papers that his father left, he said.
“Mr. Treñas and Ms. Tormon will be given the opportunity to present countervailing evidence during the preliminary investigation of the case,” according to Oguis.
Treñas denied to Panay News any alleged irregularity in the church restoration project. He said the project went through the right processes.
“Nag agi ina sa city council twice before nagpirma ako (memorandum of agreement) and sa confirmation sang MOA,” said the Iloilo City congressman.
Funds for the project came from Sen. Franklin Drilon, a resident of Molo.
“Mayor pa ako sina. Indi ako kadumdum kon ano nga term. Kay Senator Frank funds para sa Molo church gin paagi sa city. Indi na ako ka dumdum kon ano pa gid…gin hatag tanan sa simbahan,” said Treñas.
Treñas served as Iloilo City mayor for three terms (2001-2004, 2004-2007, 2007-2010).
The now congressman vowed to “face” the charge and expressed confidence it will be dismissed.
National hero Dr. Jose Rizal dropped by Molo Church on Aug. 4, 1886 on his way back to Manila from his exile in Dapitan. Rizal visited his Ilonggo friend, Raymundo Melliza.
Rizal wrote an entry about Molo in his diary: “We went to Molo to see the church painted by a lad who has left the locality. The church is pretty (Iglesia bonita) outside with paintings inside mostly copies of biblical scenes by Gustave Doré.”/PN
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