Iloilo City Council presses resignation of District Engineer Pacanan
By Tara Yap
DPWH-Iloilo City District Engineer Roy Pacanan and his courtesy resignation letter.
ILOILO CITY – The Iloilo City Council on Wednesday pressed the resignation of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Iloilo City District Engineer Roy Pacanan, three days after he filed a courtesy resignation in compliance with Secretary Vince Dizon’s directive on Sept. 1.
The Iloilo City Council approved a resolution pushed by Councilor Rommel Duron seeking the official’s resignation.
Prior to the resolution’s passage, a skeptical Duron raised his voice when asked by Councilor Sheen Marie Mabilog
the relevance of the resolution when Pacanan has already resigned.
Prior to the call of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. against anomalous flood control projects, the Iloilo City government, under the past and present Treñas administrations, criticized Pacanan and the DPWH-Iloilo City.
The rift started in June 2024 when former Mayor Jerry Treñas declared Pacanan as persona non grata or unwanted person. The allies of Jerry in the City Council also declared Pacanan as persona non grata.
Last year, Jerry’s administration cancelled seven projects of DPWH-Iloilo City and kicked out the agency for using a land owned by the Iloilo City government for its offices.
The incumbent administration led by Mayor Raisa Treñas, the daughter of Jerry, stepped up attacks against DPWH-Iloilo City and Pacanan. The city leadership blamed flooding on the DPWH-Iloilo City projects.
Majority of the DPWH projects scrutinized by the past and present Treñas administrations were lobbied by Iloilo City Rep. Julienne “JamJam” Baronda.
Jerry cut his political alliance with Baronda when he initially wanted his daughter Raisa to replace her as congresswoman in the elections.
Jerry decided not to seek a third consecutive term and picked his daughter Raisa to replace him as she registered low numbers in initial surveys against Baronda.
After Marcos cited a crackdown against anomalous flood control projects in recent State-of-the-Nation Address, Jerry issued statements calling for Pacanan and then DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan to resign.
Jerry was congressman for three consecutive terms from 2010 to 2019 before Baronda took over.