Treñas warns vs. distracting Dinagyang celebration
City Mayor Jerry Treñas got irked by the news that some disgruntled tribes would distract the highlight of the Dinagyang festival on January 27.
He warned said tribes not to proceed with their plan as they would be meted with extreme penalties.
Tribe managers of Hamili, Himala, Bantu and Angola were reportedly disappointed by their non-inclusion in the list of tribes subsidized by the city government and the Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation (IDFI).
Rumors spread that said tribes would show an indirect protest against the organizers in their presentation.
Treñas said he is not threatened by the rumors regarding the plan of said tribes.
"I did not sit here as the city mayor only to be threatened by them (tribes)," Treñas said.
Treñas said if the tribes would make true their threat they could be expelled and be banned from joining in the future.
The mayor said, early of 2007 the tribe managers already knew that they would not receive subsidy from the foundation.
Treñas said he would ask the assistance of the police to avert the plan to distract the Dinagyang celebration.
"I will not allow them to do that," he said.
Instead of griping, Treñas called on the tribes to cooperate as the success of the Dinagyang celebration would be for the good of the city.