By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas has offered to double the cash reward to PHP100,000 for information leading to the identification or arrest of the driver involved in a hit-and-run incident in Jaro.
The mayor initially offered a PHP50,000 reward but said he would raise the amount if no credible leads emerged within three days.
“We will see. We have PHP50,000, and if that is not enough after three days, I will increase it to PHP100,000,” Treñas said on Monday, April 21.
The hit-and-run occurred Saturday evening, April 19, along Commission Civil Street in Barangay Our Lady of Fatima, Jaro.
A white Ford Everest reportedly struck a motorcycle carrying a 32-year-old construction worker and his 23-year-old companion, then fled the scene without offering help.
The victims sustained minor injuries.
Authorities said the SUV did not stop despite hitting the motorcycle and leaving the riders sprawled on the road.
Treñas condemned the act, saying there is no place in the city for individuals who lack empathy and accountability.
“We cannot afford to have people like that who are not sensitive and do not have empathy for the victims […] What happened there should not be tolerated,” he said.
The mayor said he had already requested the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to increase CCTV coverage, with current priority given to the Iloilo Sunset Boulevard.
“We are adding CCTV cameras, but our target is Sunset Boulevard, considering the series of vehicular accidents that transpired in the area,” he added.
Treñas also revealed that the Department of Public Works and Highways will install two traffic lights at both intersection areas of the road project.
