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[av_heading heading=’Who’s the caretaker of Lone Dist. of Iloilo City?’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY CAROLYN JANE ABELLO
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January 19, 2018
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ILOILO City – With Cong. Jerry Treñas serving a 90-day preventive suspension, who is taking care of the lone district of Iloilo City?
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said yesterday he had not named anyone yet as caretaker for the district.
But he was open to the possibility of Cong. Arthur Defensor Jr. (3rd District, Iloilo) doing the job.
Alvarez administered the oath-taking of some 4,000 local officials of Iloilo’s 3rd District into the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino – Lakas ng Bayan. Defensor was one of them.
Should Treñas recommend Defensor as caretaker, he would approve it, said Alvarez.
Early this month, the Sandiganbayan suspended Treñas while it hears the graft charge filed against the congressman in connection with the release of P500,000 for the construction of the Iloilo Press Club (IPC) building when he was the Iloilo City mayor.
The money was a donation to the IPC from Sen. Loren Legarda’s Priority Development Assistance Fund coursed through the Iloilo City government.
The House Speaker played down the 90-day suspension as “napakaiksi” (very short) and thus won’t adversely affect the lone district of Iloilo City.
The deliberations on the 2018 national budget were over, he explained, and there were no crucial “actions” in the Lower House anyway.
Treñas’ suspension ends in March. He is specifically charged with violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Treñas’ legal counsel denied irregularity in the release of the funds for the construction of the IPC building.
“The PDAF of a congressman or senator may be coursed through the local government. There was nothing wrong with that,” said Atty. JJ Justiniano./PN
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