ILOILO CITY – The mass oath-taking of officials and politicians from Iloilo and other areas of Western Visayas region before the ruling party Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) has been postponed.

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Iloilo City Rep. Julienne ‘Jamjam’ Baronda meet during a visit to Negros Occidental on Monday, April 8. (Iloilo City Rep. Jamjam Baronda FB)
Iloilo Gov. Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr., the first regional elected official to join the PFP last year, said it has been rescheduled to the middle of April.
Defensor said top officials of the party are not available. They include House Senior Deputy Majority Leader and presidential son Ilocos Norte Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos.
But the timing of the cancellation raised speculations following photos of Iloilo City Rep. Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda hugging President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during a visit to Negros Occidental on Monday, April 8.
The original schedule of April 10 for the mass oathtaking was awaited as Raisa Treñas-Chu, daughter of Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas, was supposed to take her oath with PFP.
Treñas announced last March 15 that her daughter Raisa is running for the city’s lone congressional district and that Baronda supposedly agreed not to seek reelection.
Baronda is in her second term and can still have a third and final term as congresswoman representing here.
Since announcing his daughter’s presumptive candidacy, Treñas has stepped up his claims that Baronda’s victories as congresswoman in 2019 and 2022 were attributed to his political leadership.
Since then, Baronda has not been vocal. However, Baronda’s social media account has shown that she has been in the presence of the Marcoses.
Last April 3, Baronda attended a dinner in Malacañang and had a photo with First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.