ILOILO CITY – Mayor Jerry Treñas denied any in hand in the prosecution of former Sen. Leila de Lima – who had been cleared of drug charges – during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
“I did not participate in the hearings in the House,” said Treñas, who initially released a statement congratulating De Lima’s judicial victory.
TRENAS (Arnold Almacen/CMO)
Information resurfaced that Treñas, who was then Iloilo City congressman, were among the members of the 17th Congress who called on for an inquiry against De Lima, a former Justice Secretary.
In 2016, Treñas was one of the 12 congressmen who sought to probe De Lima’s alleged role in the proliferation of the illegal drugs trade at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City when she was Justice Secretary during the Aquino administration.
“I could not go against the administration at that time,” Treñas said in a statement.
While Treñas was identified in some reports as a Duterte ally, he only joined the ruling party PDP-Laban after Duterte won.
But during the 2016 elections, Treñas ran under the Liberal Party (LP) and supported the presidential candidacy of former Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel A. Roxas II.
Treñas even dared then presidential candidate Duterte to a fistfight.
The mayor expressed satisfaction that De Lima had been released from detention.
“I know what Sen. De Lima went through. Worse, she was in jail for a very long time. I think she has every right to go after those who filed the cases against her,” Treñas said.