By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas has denied allegations of political bias in the attempted removal of a political billboard, asserting that the city government is simply enforcing local ordinances.
In a press conference Monday, Treñas emphasized that Regulation Ordinance No. 2013-330, which governs the removal of illegal billboards, was passed during the administration of former Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and Vice Mayor Joe Espinosa III.
The ordinance was co-sponsored by then-Councilor Lady Julie Grace Baronda, who is now running for vice mayor.
The 2013 ordinance prohibits the installation of streamers, billboards, posters, and advertisements in public plazas, parks, and other areas, including on rooftops and beside buildings within the city.
It also bans selling, leasing, or using properties to construct billboards for advertisements along the six-kilometer stretch of Sen. Benigno S. Aquino Avenue.
In 2020, the ordinance was amended to broaden its scope. Section 1 now generalizes the ban on billboards and streamers in any part of the city, while Section 2.A expands the prohibition to include all commercial billboards, signs, and signboards within Iloilo City.
“As mayor, I will just implement it.
“If the law will not be applied to all, then it should not be applied at all. We need to be fair,” Treñas said.
“We are not running after anyone. First of all, that ordinance was not approved during my time,” he added.
The controversy stemmed from the Office of the Building Official’s (OBO) attempt to remove a billboard promoting Iloilo City Lone District Representative Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda and the Sulong-Gugma slate of Mabilog along Benigno S. Aquino Avenue in Mandurriao on Dec. 12.
The poster allegedly violated sections of the ordinance and the National Building Code due to the absence of permits for the tarpaulin.
On Dec. 6, a Notice of Violation was issued to the building owner, Elena Divinagracia, requiring her to remove the billboard within 24 hours.
In response, Divinagracia’s legal counsel argued that the ordinance does not apply to private properties and threatened legal action if the city proceeded with the removal.
The legal counsel warned of invoking the “three-fold liability rule,” which allows for civil, criminal, and administrative cases against public officials for alleged misconduct in the exercise of their duties.
To date, the OBO has issued 16 Notices of Violation to building owners for installing billboards in prohibited areas.
