Published by the Bohol ChronicleThe electorate in the city has to make their better choice when they cast their votes on May 10, and that choice is between "good or evil," according to veteran broadcaster Choy Torralba.
Torralba is the Boholano commentator now based in Cebu City who was boxed by Mayor Dan Lim way back in 1988.
He said the city mayor is a representative of "evil" amid the various issues and concerns hounding the city, "from corruption to illegal activities up to harassment and big-time bribery."
Torralba said Mayor Lim was convicted by the Supreme Court for physical injury charges filed by the radio commentator after, in front of many people, he was boxed by Lim while he was waiting for his flight at the Tagbilaran City Airport. If that is the case, legal experts are now asking whether the city then have as a mayor a convicted felon?
The incident happened two days after the 1988 elections wherein Lim was defeated in his bid for congressman in Bohol's first district.
"After extending a hand to him (Lim), I was instead boxed by Lim," Torralba recalled saying that Lim was mad at him for the issues he raised during his radio program in a Cebu station. Torralba noticed the same violent attitude of the city mayor as he hears reports of harassment and intimidation done to local media personalities.
Comparing Lim during that time and now, Torralba said "he is the same Dan we all know."
"When he boxed me, he was with his bodyguards," Torralba recalled and now that he is city mayor he has his Task Force to intimidate those who would say anything negative about him.
"He is a bully person," Torralba categorically said.
Lim is indeed a person who wants to "silence his critics especially those in the media," the broadcaster said.
The charges of Torralba against Lim was sustained until it was decided with finality by the Supreme Court in 1995 convicting the city mayor on charges of physical injuries.
The statement of Torralba branding Lim as "violent" coincided with the recent statement of the city mayor where he challenged Dao Barangay Captain Atoy Cosap to a fist fight.
The challenge was hurled at Cosap during a recent public rally in barangay Dao, this city where the mayor lambasted the barangay captain who is not politically affiliated with his group.
Torralba when interviewed yesterday over dyRD said this is the "most crucial" election the city will ever have, considering that Tagbilaran is placed "under threat" by the city mayor, from the business sector, the judiciary, the media and the police.
It may be recalled that vocal broadcasters Nestor Daarol, Kagawad Batchoy Alba and Boyet Requeron were not spared from the threats of the city mayor.
Both Daarol and Requeron were recipients of physical threats when they were visited by members of the dreaded Task Force at the premises of the radio station where they were anchoring their radio programs.
Kagawad Alba, for his part, whose house is located in the remote barangay of San Isidro, this city, exposed an attempted arson during the height of his exposes of alleged anomalies at the city hall under the Lim administration.
Alba recalled "it happened during the dawn of All Souls Day. Luckily the spirits blew the fire away and spared my Avanza car and house from being gutted by fire, initiated by the cowards who operated under the cover of darkness."
"If Tagbilaranons will vote for Lim on May 10, then perhaps, they want this atmosphere
of fear and intimidation to continue," the radio broadcaster concluded.
Daarol, on the other hand, was assaulted with a foul liquid thrown at his face by Arlene Karaan, one of the executive assistants of Mayor Lim.
The latest case of intimidation against media men was the cutting off of power from the residences of radio personality Gerry Pabe, now running as an independent bet for city councilor and Jerry Cajes, a technician of Station DYRD, respectively.
City Mayor Lim, who fancies himself as broadcaster (but without KBP license) is considered by city residents as "anti-media" based on the number of media men he and his men had assaulted or intimidated.
He used City Hall to harass Station DYRD and the Bohol Chronicle last year for which he was reprimanded by the Department of Finace to be more circumspect with his tax indulgences and for which a "tax harassment" case has been filed against Mayor Lim in the Office of the Ombudsman.
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Topic: Choy Torralba Talks About Mayor Dan Lim (Read 3289 times)