CONGRESSMAN Edgar Chatto might not be openly endorsing the candidacy of Trinidad Mayor Judith Cajes as an independent congressional bet in the 2nd district but he appears to endorse her informally by going with her in his sorties.
His actions, sources said, spoke louder than his words.
Chatto and Judith Cajes were together during the “ambushed†distribution of medical kits, medicines, T-shirts printed with Chatto and Conching Lim’s faces and sports paraphernalia when the Buenavista municipal and barangay officials conducted their First Barangay Officials Congress at the Bohol Plaza Resort in Dauis town Thursday last week.
Witnesses saw Chatto, his wife Pureza, provincial Liga ng mga barangay president Conching Lim and Congressman Roberto Cajes with his wife, Judith Cajes “sneaking into†the affair, save Lim who was invited.
It may be recalled that in an interview with Cuentas Claras last week, Chatto denied that he was formally endorsing the candidacy of Judith Cajes when asked if it were true that he was endorsing Cajes and not outgoing Gov. Erico Aumentado.
Aumentado is the Lakas-Kampi bet for the 2nd congressional race.
Upon seeing the group, some barangay officials were confused why Judith Cajes, who is a native of Buenavista, was the companion of Chatto.
They commented that being party mates in Lakas-Kampi, Aumentado should have been the right person to be with Chatto. Observers opined that this actuation could only mean that Chatto is secretly working for the candidacy of Judith Cajes.
Gate crashers
The distribution of election paraphernalias like medicines and shirts bearing Chatto and Lim’s faces failed to amuse some barangay officials of Buenavista.
For one thing, Chatto and the Cajes couple were not invited to the affair.
The organizers of the Congress invited only Gov. Erico Aumentado, Vice-Gov. Julius Herrera and Lim, in her capacity as president of the Liga.
Lim and Herrera showed up one after the other in the morning and delivered their respective messages to the more than 400 participants.
When interviewed by DYTR reporter Dave Responte, Barangay captain Justino Logrono, president of the Liga ng mga Barangay of Buenavista, expressed dismay over the actuation of Chatto’s group.
Logrono stressed that the organizers decided not to invite other politicians to the activity so that it would not be tainted with politics.
But Chatto and the Cajes’ couple could not be denied.
Sources said Chatto’s group arrived just in time for the socials to start. But when they tried to enter the function room where the “socials†were held, Chatto’s entourage appeared reluctant to enter because some Buenavista officials and organizers were at the stairs leading to the function room.
Chatto’s group exited but returned later and entered the room this time without hesitation.
Right there and then, sources said, they distributed the “political goodies,†while the "socials" were going on, the source said.
The source said they were dismayed because the unwelcome intrusion disrupted the socials.
Accordingly, the barangay officials who were the ones who courted and led other barangay officials to where the distribution took place included Danilo Anora of Dait Norte; Rebecca del Rosario of Poblacion; Francisca Melencion of Cantores; Alicia Lopez of Cabul-an East; Ladislao Celocia of Cangawa; and Candido Celocia of Bato, all of Bunevista town, the source said.
Sources said that Chatto’s entourage allegedly forced their way to the extent that they literally delivered the “goods†on a “door-to-door†basis in the rooms where the barangay officials were billeted.
Logrono said the distribution of the election paraphernalias effectively disrupted the socials.
An impeccable source who declined to be identified, said that Conching Lim did not tell or consult with Mayor Elsa Tirol and the rest of the organizers that she would return in the evening and tag along Chatto’s group.
Personal or official
The source said that the barangay officials received the “goods†by signing their names on sheets of paper, fueling suspicion that it was done for liquidation purposes.
This prompted them to suspect that the fund used for the goodies could be public funds.
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