ILOILO City Council has approved a draft resolution condemning the grenade throwing at a bakeshop and restaurant owned by Mayor Jerry P. Treñas despite opposition from five councilors who are vocal critics of the city executive.
The resolution described the grenade attack, which injured a security guard, as “politically motivated.”
In a regular session held last Wednesday, however, the five oppositionists -- Eldrid Antiquera, Antonio Pesina, Ely Estante, Armand Parcon and Irene Ong --voiced their opposition to the draft resolution submitted by Councilor Eduardo Peñaredondo.
The five wanted the words “attack” and “politically motivated” be stricken out in the draft and instead find suitable words that clearly described the incident.
Penaredondo, along with Jose Espinosa III, Julienne Baronda, Erwin Plagata, Nielex Tupas, Perla Zulueta, Lyndon Acap and John Melchor Mabilog, however, remained unfazed and summarily approved the resolution.
Pesina said the resolution must be based on factual basis and there is no existing police report that it was politically motivated.
But Espinosa III, a noted ally of Treñas, said the Scene of the Crime Operatives already conducted an investigation and the National Bureau of Investigation did the same.
Pesina then insisted that the investigating bodies never submitted their report to the council and the body must not consider it as politically motivated.
Earlier, Treñas insisted that the incident was the handiwork of his political opponents, particularly supporters of former chief presidential legal counsel Raul Gonzales Jr.
Several organizations and individuals also considered the incident as political harassment and intimidation on Treñas and his family.
The city mayor, who is now on his last term as chief city executive as he is running for the House in the May 10 elections, said it is only now that harassments, threats, and intimidations are perpetuated against him and his family.
Treñas earlier broke his political alliance with the Gonzalezes. (LCP)