By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
“Ako kadtuan niyo kay ako gahatag di. Bila**bay niyo. Y*d*p*ta.”
(Come to me since I am the one dispensing. You c***s. Son of a b***h)
These were the expletive-laden words that came out of Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas after receiving a report about an alleged “verbally abusive” department head who also questioned the mayor’s decisions on the distribution of tasks.
Treñas’ apparent hostile rant transpired during a meeting with the city government’s department heads at the City Hall Penthouse on Thursday, December 28.
Though unnamed, the city mayor asserted that a department head reportedly verbally abused an employee concerning the assignment of tasks, with the former claiming that his job assignments were also being usurped.
“May isa diri ka department head nga gin yawyaw niya ang isa ka officer man natun diri nga ginaagaw kuno ang ubra niya,” Treñas said.
[There’s a department head here who verbally scolded one of our officers, claiming that his tasks are being taken away.]
Treñas clarified that he is the one who assigns tasks to people he trusts and have the potential to deliver.
“Waay sang department head nga may deber nga mag question kung sin-o ang akon gin hatagan trabaho. Kung may problema ka nga waay ka yah gin hatagan trabaho, ako yah imo kadtuan, kag reklamuhan,” he added.
[No department head has the right to question who I assign work to. If you have a problem with not being given work, come to my office, and file a complaint.]
He also warned that he would file an administrative charge against the unnamed department head if the latter’s attitude continued.
“Liwata kay filean ta ka kaso. Ako ma file kaso sa imo sa Civil Service [Commission],” he said.
[I am warning you. If you do it again, I will personally file a case against you in the Civil Service Commission.]
Treñas also took potshots at the department head, whom he labeled as a “non-performing asset” of the city government.
“Kilala ka sang tanan nga non-performing asset ka. Pasalamat ka nga wala ta ka gin filean kaso. Indi ko kauyon sang mga may yawyaw. Ang yawyaw, ubra na sang mga bastos nga tawo,” he said.
[Everyone knows that you are a non-performing asset. Be thankful that I have not filed a case against you. I don’t really like those who have a crass mouth. These kinds of people are rude.]
Before this, Mayor Treñas has been reputed for his acerbic tongue, especially at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 to 2021.
Most of his rants were against inconsistent policies and statements of the national government during the pandemic.
