# Jerry Treñas

Geronimo Perez Treñas (born December 4, 1956), publicly known as Jerry Treñas, is a Filipino politician serving as the mayor of Iloilo City since 2019. He also previously served in that office from 2001 to 2010 and briefly in 1992. Treñas is also the chairman of the Metro Iloilo–Guimaras Economic Development Council (MIGEDC), the government agency responsible for the development of the Metro Iloilo–Guimaras area. He also previously served as the Representative of Iloilo City from 2010 to 2019 and was a member of the Iloilo City Council from 1986 to 1992.

## Early life

Treñas was born in Molo, Iloilo City to Efrain Blancaflor Treñas, a World War II veteran and former Constitutional Commissioner, and Soledad Perez-Treñas, a housewife. His grandfather, Potenciano Treñas, was a former Senator. He has an older sibling, Jose Mari. In 1978, he graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Afterwards, he was hired by Baker McKenzie Law Firm while having pursued law and graduated with honors from the Ateneo de Manila University School of Law in 1982. He placed 11th in the 1982 Bar Examinations, with an average score of 88.325%.
He was inducted, alongside former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog, as an honorary alumnus of Central Philippine University.

## Political career

While studying at the Ateneo, Treñas joined the Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas and attended rallies against the martial law regime of President Ferdinand Marcos. Treñas said he was detained several times at Camp Aguinaldo, Camp Crame, and Bicutan.
Treñas entered politics in 1986 after he became a City Councilor. He was reelected as a City Councilor from 1988 until 1992, when he became the mayor of Iloilo City by succession for only two months. In 2001, he was elected as the mayor of Iloilo City for three terms (2001–2010). He is the only person elected to the position of mayor of Iloilo City who won by a landslide in all precincts in the city (2004 and 2007 elections).
From 2010 until 2019, he was the congressman of the lone district of Iloilo City. He is currently serving as the mayor of Iloilo City after winning against his brother-in-law, Jose Espinosa III, in the 2019 election.
In October 2024, Treñas announced that he would not run for reelection as mayor in the 2025 Philippine general election, citing health reasons, and instead endorsed his daughter, Raisa Treñas-Chu, to the position.

### Controversy

In May 2024, Treñas apologised after he threatened to sue journalists covering the demolition of an art deco façade at the Iloilo City Public Market dating from 1938 which sparked protests from heritage conservationists during a press conference, during which he publicly went into an outburst, with Daily Guardian (Iloilo) journalist Joey Marzan expressing belief that he was Treñas' target. On May 22, the Iloilo City Hall Press Corps issued a press release stating that they had forgiven him. Treñas subsequently filed a cyber-libel complaint against Nereo Lujan, a historian and information officer of the Iloilo provincial government for suggesting that the demolition was done despite a lack of permits.
In July 2024, Lujan filed with the Ombudsman a complaint against Treñas for unlawful destruction of the Public Market's façade without the required clearance from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. The market is a Cultural Tourism Heritage Zone, a Historic Center and a presumed important cultural property, under Section 5, R.A. 10066.

## Personal life

Treñas married to Rosalie Sarabia, in 1984, who is actively involved in numerous public service projects in Iloilo City. They have five children: Raisa Maria Lourdes, Jose Carlo Tomas, Jose Maria Miguel, Geronimo Efrain Salvador, and Jose Juan Paolo.

### Illness

On November 28, 2023, Treñas underwent a medical diagnosis for shingles. On December 4, after a coronary catheterization discovered blocked blood vessels, he underwent an angioplasty at The Medical City-Iloilo. In September, 2024, Treñas underwent a bile duct surgery in Manila.