By Bohol Sunday Post
There’s no mistaking that he is being looked up to as the father figure of the opposition. But after seeing it in a different light, he finally admitted that if the challenge is there, why not. The challenge of heading the opposition, that is.
That’s Chito Castillo’s curt reply when asked just what kind of politics he is espousing right now.
The challenge of injecting new faces into Bohol’s electoral system is what Castillo is dreaming of after the province was stampeded with patronage politics all these years.
But much as he wanted to shy away from any tag given his role in the opposition, his loyalists just cannot help but christen him as their own godfather that will lead the group to its desired objective as the party of choice for the Boholanos.
With political democracy as his battle cry, he is longing for the day that people will be given a real choice of their leaders.
Sounding nostalgic, he recalled the days of his father when the two-party system was in vogue.
A junior of the late congressman Natalio Castillo,Sr., Chito was privy to the heydays of the Nacionalista and Liberal parties of old.
Now, everything is being dictated by those in the corridors of power as to who will run the reigns of government, Castillo sighed.
Is his visibility these days a good measure of things to come?
Before he was misinterpreted, Castillo was quick to douse cold water to insinuations that he is running for public office.
He said if he is visible these days, it is because he found the Bohol opposition worth saving as a potent political party.
The potential of the opposition as a force to reckon with was shown yesterday when he hosted hundreds of leaders all over Bohol. Although there was a sprinkling of leaders from the second and third districts, it was in the first district were most of the leaders came from.
Just to make sure that Bohol leaders were given the importance they deserve, Castillo invited his friend from way, way back, Sen.Jinggoy Estrada to be on hand to grace the gathering of political supporters. During the Panglao fiesta last week, Estrada was also its guest of honor.
Concentrating more in the first district, Castillo conceded just how effective his organization in the 2004 elections when his nephew ran for governor.
While former governor Rene Relampagos was buried with a comfortable margin when he sought reelection in 2001, it was a different ballgame for Castillo’s nephew when he ran again in 2004.
With Castillo as his campaign manager, Relampagos redeemed himself by winning the balloting in the first district with a respectable lead of 22,000.
The first district organization with Castillo at the helm was also tested in 2007 when another nephew Dr. Yul Lopez pole vaulted to the number one slot in the race for first district board members.
Yesterday’s fiesta in Loon where purok leaders of the first district came in droves is a manifestation that Castillo’s organization is in contention for the coming 2010 elections. By any reckoning, it was a show of force but Castillo was quick to downplay its impact saying that it was just “a gathering of political leaders who happen to be his friendsâ€.
The possibility of the opposition organization playing a crucial role in the coming polls, keeps the political hopes alive of at least two Castillo proteges—Relampagos and Lopez.
According to Castillo, Lopez is groomed to run for first district congressman while Relampagos is entertaining the possibility of making another gubernatorial crack.
Castillo confirmed that both Lopez and Relampagos are making the rounds in the towns to sound off ward leaders if they still occupy a soft spot in their hearts. The reception accordingly was encouraging.
In the case of Lopez, there seems to be no turning back in his congressional bid.
Although it was more honored in whispers than in the open, Lopez appears elated at the prospect that at least seven of the 15 first district mayors are forming their own group to work behind his Congress ambition.
If Castillo is going to be asked about the Group of 7,he said without batting an eyelash, that no!, it’s not only seven, but nine. Nine mayors backing the Congress aspirations of Lopez? That is one lead hard to overhaul knowing that Lopez’ hometown—Loon, has 28,000 voters.
Both Castillo and Lopez rationalized that the seven or nine mayors have their own reasons why they are for the Loon stalwart. In a check with each of the mayor, Castillo and Lopez maintained that the mayors concerned have their own complaint against outgoing Cong. Edgar Chatto who will surely endorse his own candidate in the first district.
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