BADJAOS ON BOARD. Some of the Badjaos who left Bacolod City on board a roll-on, roll-off vessel bound for Dumangas port in Iloilo Province Wednesday night (June 21, 2023). The Badjaos, however, proceeded to stay in Iloilo City on Thursday (June 22) instead of traveling back to Mindanao, prompting Mayor Jerry Treñas there to criticize Bacolod City Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran for supposedly making Iloilo City a dumping ground of the Badjaos. (Photo courtesy of Coast Guard District Western Visayas)
BACOLOD CITY – Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas is at loggerheads with Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran here, after declaring the latter as persona non grata for supposedly making his city a dumping ground of Badjaos from Bacolod.
“As the chief executive of Iloilo City, I abhor this kind of behavior. He should be accountable (for) his actions. Therefore, I am declaring Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran persona non grata effective immediately. An executive order (EO) will be issued,” Treñas said in a statement Friday noon.
Later in the afternoon, Treñas signed EO 83, stating that Familiaran be declared “undesirable and unwelcome in the City of Iloilo for his role in the uncoordinated and poorly planned transfer of the Badjaos to their respective domiciles”.
“As the prime duty of the government to serve and protect the people, and maintain peace an order, VM Familiaran facilitated for the Badjaos to be sent in their hometowns and ‘stop loitering around and leave the city [Bacolod City] which led to 80 Badjaos arriving in Dumangas Port which are not residents of the metro,” he said.
“Although we do not discriminate, I strongly abhor the act of the vice mayor to order their transfer in the metro due to the lack of coordination and communication,” he added.
On Wednesday night, 84 Badjaos traveled from Bredco port in Bacolod on board a roll-on, roll-off vessel bound for the port of Dumangas, Iloilo.
They were sent off by personnel of the Department of Social Services and Development and officials of various barangays here back home to Mindanao via Panay Island, but it turned out they proceeded to Iloilo City and stayed there instead.
In a statement, Treñas said he is “very disappointed for the lack of proper coordination on the part of Familiaran regarding this matter”.
“As a leader himself, he is expected to observe proper measures as a sign of respect to other local government units,” he added.
Aside from the statement he posted on social media, the Iloilo City mayor was also quoted by the Iloilo media as saying, “I cannot think of how stupid a local government can become, they must resolve this issue themselves. The stupidity of a government official is shown by his actions. I cannot imagine how stupid these officials have become”.
On Friday morning, Familiaran, who sits as acting mayor since Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez is out of the country, already apologized to Treñas for what happened when the Badjaos arrived in Iloilo.
However, the vice mayor later reacted to the subsequent statement of Treñas.
“I have high respect for Mayor Treñas, but I lost (that respect). Respect begets respect,” Familiaran said, adding that the mayor could have investigated first before jumping the gun on blaming him for what happened.
Familiaran told reporters here the destination of the vessel boarded by the Badjaos was not Iloilo City therefore, Bacolod is not dumping them there.
“They promised to go home. It’s not our intention that these individuals will proceed to Iloilo City. They docked in Dumangas port and we expected them to go home directly to their homeland in Mindanao,” he added.
In recent weeks, Badjaos, both adults and children, came to this city anew, causing concerns as they were roaming and begging for alms on the streets. (PNA)
