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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Visayas devider Iloilo City Mayor Treñas-Chu, Vice Mayor Baronda tussle over office space

Iloilo City Mayor Treñas-Chu, Vice Mayor Baronda tussle over office space

Published Jul 3, 2025 02:26 pm
ILOILO City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu and Vice Mayor Lady Julie Grace ‘Love’ Baronda during their July 1 meeting. (Office of Mayor Treñas-Chu)
ILOILO City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu and Vice Mayor Lady Julie Grace ‘Love’ Baronda during their July 1 meeting. (Office of Mayor Treñas-Chu)
Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu is embroiled in a new controversy as she refused to allocate bigger office space for Vice Mayor Lady Julie Grace “Love” Baronda at the newly-opened Legislative Building.
Despite a July 1 reconciliatory meeting, Treñas-Chu prioritized allocating spaces for executive assistants, who hold non-elected positions, and her appointees.
Tensions escalated between Baronda’s staff and the executive branch on the third floor of the Legislative Building on Wednesday morning, July 2.
At the time tensions began, Treñas-Chu did not have a memorandum order detailing office assignments.
Treñas-Chu instead said that Baronda’s camp had to respect the June 11, 2025 memorandum signed by her father – former Mayor Jerry Treñas – that the sixth floor is designated for the Office of the Vice Mayor.
But it turned out that the sixth floor is also supposed to house the City Council’s Office of the Secretariat and Supply Office.
Baronda tried to appeal to Treñas-Chu to allocate more space as the sixth floor is not enough.
As the elected vice mayor, Baronda emphasized that her position must be respected.
Baronda reiterated that construction of the Legislative Building was intended for the Iloilo City Council where she is the presiding officer.
On Wednesday afternoon, Treñas-Chu made a stunning move when she issued a memorandum order renaming the Legislative Building as a multi-purpose building.
Similar to the June 11 memorandum of her father, Treñas-Chu said that only she, as the mayor, has authority to assign office spaces as stipulated in the Local Government Code.
This is the latest controversy faced by Treñas-Chu, who succeeded her father as mayor without prior experience as an elective official.
Treñas-Chu was accused of nepotism when she appointed her father as special adviser hours after officially assuming office last June 30.
She retained three of her father’s longtime officials – Melchor Tan as city administrator, Atty. Edgardo Gil as chief of the City Legal Office, and Jonas Bellosillo as Office of the City Mayor chief of staff.

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Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu Vice Mayor Love Baronda
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