Movement pushing Treñas to run for Congress gaining ground
Mr. Rodolfo Eslita (standing), convenor of Jerry Treñas for Congressman Movement, fields questions from the media. Also shown in photo (from left) are Evelyn Salarda, Belen Peñaflor, and retired policeman Vir de los Reyes.“Nobody… Nobody… but Treñas for Congressman,” sang a group of persons wanting the incumbent city mayor, Jerry P. Treñas, to run for a congressional seat rather than for vice-mayor this coming May 2010 elections.
The song was patterned from the popular dance tune “Nobody but you” by the South Korean group Wonder Girls.
Rodolfo Eslita, convenor of Jerry Treñas for Congressman Movement, stressed that it does not matter what political party Treñas will join into, “as long as he will run for congressman we will support him.”
“Otherwise, we will campaign to the people not to vote him for vice mayor though we respect whatever his decision,” added Eslita.
Reports said that chief presidential legal counsel Raul Gonzalez Sr. is convincing Treñas to run as his vice mayor in next year’s election but the latter has yet to accept the invitation.
Eslita and his group noted Treñas’s remarkable accomplishments as chief executive of the city for three consecutive terms and further explained that Treñas possesses the needed qualifications and integrity, above anyone else, for the congressional position. He denied that a politician is behind their movement.
Convened last week, the group had already gathered more than 5,000 signatures which is already more than half of their target of 10,000 signatures to push Treñas to run for conrgressman.
Eslita also clarified that they are not against the will of Gonzalez, Sr. but they just wanted Treñas for the position since they really believed in the latter’s capacity to propel Iloilo City to progress once he is in Congress.
Eslita said they are amenable that 90 per cent of the 180 barangay captains in the city are with Gonzalez, but he believed that the barangay captains do not have total control of the people in their barangay when it comes to their choice candidate during the election.
If ever the city mayor will accept their call, Eslita assured that they will be more aggressive in their campaign.
He said they will hand over to the mayor the signatures they gathered this first week of October.
Meanwhile, the barangay leaders of Uswag Iloilo Movement has issued a resolution of support to the Treñas for Congressman Movement.
Uswag, a conglomeration of progressive sectors in Iloilo City, said it is expressing its call in the strongest terms urging Treñas to run for Congressman.
The leadership of Uswag said no amount of threats or pressure can stop them from getting 10,000 signatures to present to Treñas as proof that he has what it takes to become congressman.