Mayors Jerry Treñas of Iloilo City and Alfredo Abelardo "Albee" Benitez of Bacolod City have ended their almost week-long word war with reconciliatory words.

“The development of Bacolod is important to the region. Iloilo City will always be supportive of all its developmental efforts,” said Treñas on Thursday, Nov. 10.
During a speech at the MassKara Festival last October, Benitez claimed that Bacolod already surpassed Iloilo City, the capital of Western Visayas region.
The speech irked Treñas.
“We will continue to be the lead city in Region 6. We will continue to be the champion in all events in Region 6. And we will be the best in Region 6,” said Treñas.
Benitez responded to Treñas by saying: “I admire Iloilo City.”
He added that he idolizes Treñas, whom he said was “a mentor and a yardstick of leadership and initiative.”
Benitez jokingly added that if there’s anything that Bacolod has surpassed Iloilo City, it’s having a young and handsome mayor.
“Kidding aside, we are proud of Bacolod’s recovery so far. We just had a very successful Masskara Festival, which boosted the local (economy),” Benitez said.
The word war between the two mayors is another manifestation of long-time sentiments between residents of the cities of Iloilo and Bacolod.
Historically, key leaders in both the business and political sectors of Bacolod and the rest of Negros Occidental province trace their roots in Iloilo.
Benitez was appointed chairman of the Regional Development Council-6 by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.