The LMP petition was spearheaded by LMP Iloilo President San Enrique Mayor Trixie Fernandez and was signed by at least 30 mayors, seeking her ouster from the SDS office of the province. According to sources, during the LMP meeting last March 9 where De los Reyes was among the invited resource persons, Mina Mayor Lydia Grabato asked the SDS about the annual expenses incurred in conducting the Congressional District Sports Association Meet or CDSA Meet. De los Reyes reportedly answered around P7 million and when Grabato suggested that a sustainable sports program should be initiated instead to save money the SDS replied that it’s not their job at the division office but falls on the responsibilities of the local government units. Allegedly, such answer did not sit well with Grabato and among other mayors. In a media interview, however, Mayor Grabato categorically stated that she has nothing against De los Reyes but she signed the petition because it’s the decision of the group.

Two mayors who signed the petition, who refused to be named, told IMT that they have to affix their signatures as a political gesture lest they be accused of not cooperating with the group of Mayor Fernandez.

Mayor Fernandez lamented that they were just suggesting and discussing and getting such reaction from De los Reyes was uncalled for. Then came a barrage of other concerns, which include the filling up of vacant positions in schools. Fernandez cited Leon and Lambunao as examples where there are qualified applicants yet De los Reyes appointed personnel outside the said towns.

If Mayor Grabato has no negative reaction as to the answer of Dr. de los Reyes and simply signed the petition (it was actually her vice mayor who signed in her behalf) initiated by Mayor Fernandez as a gesture of respect to her leadership of LMP, the ball is now on the shoulder of Mayor Trixie. What is the grudge she’s holding against Dr. de los Reyes.

Interestingly, De los Reyes was immediately relieved from her designation as SDS Iloilo to SDS Iloilo City through a memorandum signed by Department of Education Undersecretary Revsee Escobedo. I am curious or perhaps a bit malicious. Without undermining the capacity of LMP Iloilo and Mayor Trixie Fernandez, are they really these huge that their concerns are acted by the national office of DepEd with a lightning speed? Or are there powerful patrons or hidden hands involved?

I would like to dwell on the possible grudge of Mayor Trixie against De los Reyes. Trixie is a friend. She would even delay her meeting to have coffee with me in her office. By far, she is one of the lady mayors in Iloilo who is very accommodating and a true person in facing people from the media. Her politics is different when it comes to dealing with her friends but of course she is now assuming the LMP leadership at the behest of her patron Fourth District Representative Ferjenil Biron. Congressman Ferj may be far from the issue but in November 2022, his son Dumangas Mayor BJ Biron has asked De los Reyes to appoint an ally as principal of a school in Dumangas. SDS de los Reyes denied the request. Thus, the LMP Meeting could have been simply a logical excuse since they could not find any fault on the leadership of de los Reyes.

Representative Biron is a successful businessman and father. Despite his issues with the media, there was never an instance I can recall when he failed to reply to my messages. Until today, I am confident to say that he is one of the few congressmen in the region, whom I know, who do not get involve in the usual SOPs on the projects constructed their districts. Of course, it should be clear, I am only referring to Dr. Ferj Biron and I can’t speak of the people around him. (wink!)

However, Representative Biron is notorious in running after the people who do not submit to his whims and requests. He caused the dismissal from service of Police Major Charlie Sustento because of a checkpoint Sustento and his men conducted way back that flagged them down. He filed charges against retired Police Lt. Col. Jonathan Pinuela over an election related police operation that resulted to apprehensions of people sympathetic to him. He filed libel cases against media personalities who are critical of his leadership. Most recently he caused the relief of Department of Agriculture Western Visayas Regional Director Remelyn Recoter. It was said that such action stemmed from the refusal of Recoter to approve his recommended appointee to an administrator’s position in a tertiary educational institution in the fourth district of Iloilo. It may be unfair to infer the action of LMP Iloilo to Rep. Biron as it could be very unlikely but nobody can stop one from suspecting somebody.

Meantime, the province of Iloilo lost a good leader educator in the person of De los Reyes. Of course, Iloilo City regained one. It’s just unfortunate that those who work hard to help improve the system are often times persecuted to serve the interests of only a few.