Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas is keen on taking legal action against the head of the Iloilo Provincial Government’s Public Information and Community Affairs Office (PICAO).

In a statement on Monday, April 29, Treñas accused PICAO chief Nereo Lujan of harassing, cyberbullying, and putting him and his family in ridicule “year-round for no reason at all.”

“It is about time. Napuno na guid ang gantangan. Kalison na guid ang nagsobra,” he said.

The mayor is studying the possibility of filing a cyber libel complaint against Lujan.

“I have requested the Treñas law offices to study the Facebook posts. My instruction is to file as many counts of cyber libel cases as may be warranted,” he said.

In a separate statement, Treñas stressed that  Lujan is a “public official who is supposed to be guided by the code of ethical standards.”

“Enough is enough. I am a lawyer who practiced for 19 years before becoming a mayor. I want the legal system to tell me if Nereo Lujan, a provincial official, has the legal right to cyber-provoke, bully, harass, or ridicule me or my family year-round,” the mayor said.

“This person has believed that his public official position has given him additional rights. Let us ask the legal institutions if this is correct so that all other public officials will not do the same to other persons. If not, let us find another way to vent our anger to other persons. I will continue with my legal actions,” he continued.

In his Facebook post on Tuesday, April 30, Lujan denied harassing Treñas and attacking his administration.

The provincial official has been vocal on several issues in the city, including the demolition of the Iloilo Central Market, implementation of the Local Public Transport Route Plan (LPTRP), and the heavy traffic at the controversial Ungka flyover.

“Mayor Treñas, I’m sorry if my actions have caused you distress. However, my intention was not to harass you but to seek clarification on the demolition of the Iloilo Central Market,” Lujan said.

“While I am a government employee, I too am a taxpayer, and I believe it is important to hold our public officials accountable and ensure transparency in governance. If my inquiries have caused any discomfort, I express my regrets, but I stand by my right to seek answers,” he further said.IMT