Iloilo Mayor Jerry Treñas said on Tuesday, July 4, that he has withdrawn his declaration of Bacolod Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran as persona non grata over the arrival of 80 Badjaos in his city last month.
Treñas told DIGICAST NEGROS he withdrew his declaration of Familiaran as persona non grata for Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.
Benitez on Monday said he had appealed to Treñas to lift the declaration as the arrival of the Badjaos from Bacolod in Iloilo was not the fault of Familiaran.
The Bacolod mayor said he is thankful that Treñas withdrew the declaration.
“All ends well…let’s move past this incident, we are neighbors and its incumbent on us to work together,” Benitez said.
“I bear him no ill will, that’s over. For me that’s divine intervention, its God’s will if he recall its,” Familiaran said.
Treñas issued an executive order on June 22 declaring Familiaran persona non grata for the arrival of 80 Badjaos from Bacolod City in Iloilo City.
The Bacolod City government was sending the Badjaos back to Mindanao but they instead disembarked at the Dumangas port.
Treñas blamed Familiaran, who was acting Bacolod mayor at the time, for the “lack of coordination” in the transfer to Badjaos that caused them to instead end up in Iloilo.
“I have expressed concern that maybe he can recall his declaration of the vice mayor as persona non grata. Technically, there were lapses done that were not the vice mayor’s doing,” Benitez said on Monday.*