Who Will Be The Next Victim?
Lakas Bohol under Cong. Edgardo M. Chatto
Finally we have the answer to the question most people are asking: what is the problem of Lakas-Bohol. The answer goes by the name of Cong. Edgardo Chatto.
A very clever but obviously desperate statement which came out in the newspapers last Sunday confirmed what we had suspected all along. A Kangaroo Court is in place in Lakas-Bohol courtesy of Cong. Chatto. All of us who do not enjoy his blessings have all been accused, tried and sentenced. Just like that.
Cong. Chatto again conveniently sidesteps the most obvious questions: why did he choose ex-Gov. Rene Relampagos over Catigbian Mayor Roberto Salinas? The letter sent to Gov. Erico Aumentado on November 24, 2009 proves that a decision was already reached on the coalition with the LDP and the choice of ex-Gov. Rene Relampagos. To this day, Cong. Chatto cannot show proof of any communication, meeting or any activity that deliberated on the coalition with the LDP and the Party choice for the First District Congressional candidate. Of course, there is nothing to show because THERE WAS NONE.
As it turned, the Kangaroo Court of Cong. Chatto simply pieced together allegations and suspicions of disloyalty against those who are outside the cabal to justify the instant Lakas coalition with the LDP and the choice of ex-Gov. Relampagos as congressional bet.
The Kangaroo Court of Cong. Chatto was also behind the revocation of the CONA to Gov. Erico Aumentado. Again, the kangaroos conjured a “grand scheme of fielding two (2) slatesâ€. If the kangaroos are so sure of the existence of such a grand scheme, why did they not convene the Party, announce the alleged scheme and conduct a fair trial where all parties, both accusers and accused, can present arguments and show proofs? Instead, no such trial took place because the Kangaroo Court had already arrived at a decision to just stab Gov. Aumentado in the back.
Again, it was the Kangaroo Court of Cong. Chatto that was responsible for the unceremonious displacement of the loyal Party chairmen in the towns of Talibon, Getafe and Dagohoy.
The claims of the Kangaroo Court on the reasons for the displacement are now moot and academic. Like the first two cases, there was no due process in their incarceration from the Party. Like the first two instances, the Kangaroo Court of Cong. Chatto simply raised accusations against Gov. Aumentado and the mayors, tried them in absentia without their knowledge and summarily sentenced them with virtual expulsion.
The only thing honest in the statement, shamefully entitled “Be Honestâ€, was the biggest admission that it did not state categorically – the existence of a Kangaroo Court in Lakas-Bohol. On mere suspicion, a Party member can be accused of disloyalty and treachery and be immediately put to trial and sentenced to expulsion even before you are even informed of the charges.
The only time you will know about it is when the judgment has been served – the CONA to ex-Gov. Relampagos in the case of Mayor Salinas; the revocation of the CONA in the case of Gov. Aumentado; and the virtual expulsion in the case of Mayors Teresa Camacho of Getafe, Juanario Item of Talibon and Germinio Relampagos of Dagohoy.
No one knew about these allegations against the parties concerned until we dared to speak out. After the treachery, betrayal and deception employed against us, the Kangaroo Court wants us to just suffer in silence. The moment we spoke out, we are demonized. Is this what has become of the Lakas in just a few months after the take-over of Cong. Chatto?
Cong. Chatto vainly tries to extricate himself from the mess that befell Mayor Salinas, Gov. Aumentado and the Second District Mayors by accusing them of treason. Perhaps he forgot that his at first he feigned ignorance about what happened.
First, he did not know anything about them. Now, he tells the victims they deserved it because they were unfaithful to the Party. He is either lying when he said he didn’t know about it or he is lying when he said they betrayed the Party. Cong. Chatto can say what he wants but either way he has not been honest.
All these allegations of betrayal against the Party against anybody are worthless until such time that they are proven. Anybody can make allegations to suit their interest as this experience shows. The prudent and correct thing for a real leader to do should have been to invite all parties, both accusers and accused, to the proper body so the allegations can be discussed fairly. Only then can the trial progress, the decisions reached and the penalty decided. This is the way of democracy.
For instance, Cong. Chatto and his inner circle have liberally accused Gov. Aumentado and us of treachery after we accused them of hypocrisy and treachery. It was therefore the responsibility of Cong. Chatto to put the house in order by employing the time-honored principles of fairness, transparency and due process. Instead, he first washed his hands before finally alleging that Gov. Aumentado and - all those who resented the betrayal of Mayor Salinas, Gov. Aumentado and the Second District Mayors were suspects and convicts on his mere say so.
Unfortunately, democracy has no place in the Lakas under Cong. Chatto. It is now being ruled by a cabal that accuses anybody who is not one of them, imposes penalties to serve their purpose and finally besmirch their reputation if they complain.
If there is one thing positive about this for us, it is the conclusion that there is no place for due process and a fair trial in the Lakas under Cong. Chatto. What is important is that any threat, imagined or real, to Cong. Chatto must be dealt with under his leadership – treacherous and quick.
We are sad because the Lakas-Bohol that was painstakingly led by Gov. Aumentado for more than two decades is now gone. In its place is a cabal that pretends to be Lakas but in reality has accommodated the LDP, PDP and PMP without even the benefit of a formal communication to the rank and file about its existence.
If unconfirmed reports are true, they are even negotiating with the Liberal Party of Sen. Noynoy Aquino for a mass defection of their faction. Only time will tell if it is true, but if it is, then all this is merely a prelude to that grand sell-out of Secretary Gibo Teodoro and the Lakas candidates. This is shameful opportunism.
We are happy for Mayor Salinas because his election is assured even after the efforts of Cong. Chatto to put up a candidate against him. After eliminating Mayor Salinas from the congressional race, Cong. Chatto wanted to unseat him as mayor.
We are happy for Gov. Aumentado because he has become even more invincible due to the outpouring of sympathy for him for what he suffered. He was victimized twice. First, when his CONA was revoked, and second when his name was besmirched by those who plotted it. In spite of it, his victory is still secure.
We are happy for the Second District Mayors who are all assured of victory by their constituents who have benefited from their incumbencies and all those who were scandalized by the treachery employed to boot them out of the Party.
But we are also sad for all the Party members who will be victimized in the future. As the mayors who delivered 12-0 have realized, no one is safe anymore. What you did for the Party will not matter for the Kangaroo Court that exists only for Cong. Chatto and his cabal.
Anybody who is suspected of disrespect to Cong. Chatto and his cabal will suffer the same fate. Again, if they can do this to Gov. Aumentado, they can do this to anybody. Cong. Chatto has asked the national Lakas hierarchy to expel us. If he is in control of the Provincial Chapter as he claims, why is crying to the National Officers to solve a problem of his own making? If we are guilty as charged, why is he afraid to give us a fair trial? Or is he again using national officials as the culprit so he can again wash his hands which is his usual response to problems?
We are not afraid to face any fair and impartial body. If he wants to expel us, we dare him to go ahead. Of course, we would also exercise our right to similarly file our complaints against him. We will ask him to explain why his candidates, like Secretary Gibo Teodoro, Edu Manzano, Board Member Conching Lim, Mayor Baby Cajes and Vice Mayor Toto Veloso are faring poorly in surveys while he is on top.
We want him to answer why he has accommodated the LDP, PDP, PMP to boost his gubernatorial campaign. Finally, we want him to tell the truth about his negotiations with the LP through Sen. Kiko Pangilinan. We dare him to publicly make a categorical statement either to confirm or deny this once and for all.
We have declared that we will no longer support Cong. Chatto for governor. We allow him to outwit us once, shame on him. But if we allow him to outwit us again, shame on us. There is no question about that. The question which should be on everybody’s mind is this: who will be the next victim of the Kangaroo Court of Cong. Chatto?
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