Salinas bloc manifesto triggers internal rift
The beleaguered Lakas-Kampi-CMD in the province is eager for a major electoral battle, shedding off "traitors" who unleashed a hate campaign within its ranks.
Still claiming dominance over the province's political base, the administration party unravels "a grand plan of deception" perpetrated by a ranking colleague using some party stalwarts who earlier expressed withdrawal of support to the Lakas provincial and national leadership.
Lakas officials condemned the "treachery and hypocrisy" of some party stalwarts who want to break the Lakas machinery here through a vicious political campaign "obviously motivated by "the desire to serve two masters - the Lakas and NP parties".
Lakas provincial leaders stressed that "it has come to a point for those pretending to be loyal members of Lakas to show their true colors that by heart they are supporting the rival party."
According to Lakas officials, a manifesto that was paid to be published in a local newspaper and carried as a news in the regional and national papers was signed by some partymates who have long been observed - and now proven, to be secretly backing Nacionalista Party (NP) presidential bet Sen. Manuel Villar.
"To legitimize their move in trying to stage a bogus uprising within the party, the group accused loyal leaders and members of Lakas of treating them like 'second-class' citizens by their own party," bared Lakas officials in their statement.
The move led by Catigbian Mayor Roberto Salinas, League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Bohol chapter president, blamed Lakas gubernatorial bet Rep. Edgar Chatto in his failed bid to clinch party nomination as official candidate for congressman in the first district.
"Salinas held Chatto and the party responsible when he failed to get a certificate of nomination and acceptance (Cona) from Lakas instead of blaming the one who was pushing for his congressional bid," the statement added.
Salinas, together with officials of the mayors' league came up with a manifesto expressing dismay on the party leadership for treating them shabbily when in fact many of them have been loyal party members.
Aside from Salinas, there were 10 other signatories of the position paper including Jagna Mayor Exuperio Lloren, second district board member Josephine Socorro Jumamoy, Danao Mayor Louis Thomas Gonzaga, Getafe Mayor Theresa Camacho, Lila Mayor Telesforo Balagosa, Inabanga Mayor Jose Jono Jumamoy, Buenavista Mayor Elsa Tirol, Talibon Mayor Juanario Item, Dagohoy Mayor Germinio Relampagos and Jagna councilor and provincial board aspirant Senen Lloren.
It was pointed out that Salinas himself is running unopposed in his bid for a third term as mayor of Catigbian despite the fact that party leaders knew of his plan to affiliate with the NP.
According to vice gubernatorial bet Board member Concepcion Lim, Salinas should not turn his hatred against loyal partymates who have been "open and transparent" to him from the start regarding his intent to run for the first district Congress seat.
Instead, the group challenged Salinas to be bold enough and confront the high-ranking official in the province who was pushing for his Congress bid even without consultations with Lakas officials in the first district.
Lakas claim that even the people of Catigbian are aware of the mayor's predicament and advised him to openly denounce the prominent official who has been giving him assurances that he will be picked as the party's official bet for first district congressman.
The administration party said they are wondering why Salinas could not divulge in public that Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera was also pushing for his Congress bid and why he could not assail Gov. Erico Aumentado's open endorsement of former governor Rene Relampagos for congressman during the Lakas-Kampi-CMD-LDP coalition meeting at the La Roca Hotel in November 28 last year, just three days before the filing of certificates of candidacy (CoC).
"Those who signed the manifesto clearly explains the intention to hide the fact that a top Capitol official participated and planned the scheme using other people as dummies in backing the NP party," it said.
According to Lakas Cong. Roberto Cajes (second district) the party at the national level revoked the Cona issued to Aumentado precisely based on alleged intelligence reports and monitoring of the party which uncovered Aumentado's duplicity for the NP presidential bet, instead of Gilbert Teodoro of Lakas.
The party national officials are not stupid to recall Aumentado's Cona for no apparent reason considering the governor is the highest ranking Lakas official in the province and the entire Central Visayas," Cajes said.
This resulted in the issuance of a Cona to Trinidad Mayor Judith Cajes.
Cong. Cajes likewise bared that the governor already picked local candidates in the second district for Villar days before turning over the party chairmanship to Chatto.
Cajes alleged that he was surprised of these developments as he was not consulted despite his status then as party head in the second districts.
The Aumentado-Cajes alliance fizzled out when an earlier agreement to keep unopposed Aumentado's bid as congressman of 2nd district was broken with the filing of candidacy of Mayor Judith Cajes.
Cong. Cajes who was positioning for the vice governorship felt Aumentado had a hand in the entry of the governor's alter ego, Prov'l Administrator Tomas Abapo Jr. in the vice gubernatorial race and the sudden interest of Board Member Concepcion Lim to run as independent vice gubernatorial candidate.
Lim later revealed to Cajes that aside from an endorsement of the Provincial Federation of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) she was inspired a number of times by the governor's wife Grenie to run against Cajes and assured to lead her campaign in the second district.
VICTIM OF BETRAYAL
Former Gov. Rene Relampagos, who is running for congressman said Salinas is a victim of betrayal by politicians who promised him the Lakas official nomination, but had hidden motives in pushing him to run for the first district congressional seat.
With Salinas in the way, the party said, Herrera will have a reason to insist on his gubernatorial bid.
The scenario allegedly anticipated a collapse of dialogues between the camps of Chatto and Herrera, who eventually bolted to the NP together with Prov'l Administrator Tomas Abapo Jr. a day after the vice governor joined the Lakas delegation to the national party convention at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
CHATTO CLEARS NAME
Rep. Chatto, for his part said he has no problem if Salinas faults him after the Lakas party chose Relampagos as official bet, if he was personally informed earlier of the mayor's interest to run for Congress and if he committed and assured the mayor of the party's nomination.
"Mayor Salinas knew right from the start whom he was dealing with and who gave him the empty promise which pushed him to aspire for the first district congressional seat," Chatto stressed.
The solon bared he was never informed in advance nor was he invited in a consultation of fielding Salinas, even though he was still chairman of the party in the first district that time.
"As chairman of the party in the first district then, I should have been part of discussions in deciding the candidacy for congressman pursuant to party rules," he said.
Chatto disclosed that the Catigbian mayor revealed to him last year that it was the top official in the province who pressed him to run for congress.
According to Chatto, during that same talk with the mayor, the latter admitted that a group representing Sen. Villar approached him to run as representative of the first district.
Chatto explained that this happened while there was an ongoing negotiation within the party to consider Vice-Gov. Herrera as official candidate for congressman in the first district.
Chatto, the Lakas-Kampi-CMD gubernatorial bet, said he is not surprised there are some mayors who are also affiliating with the rival camp.
"Among the mayors were the ones herded for a mass oath-taking of 25 mayors in front of Villar out of 47," the party said.
"CLEANSE ITS RANKS"
Lakas vice gubernatorial bet and board member Concepcion Lim said the administration party eventually cleanse its ranks and strategize their campaign.
Lim said they welcome the declaration of some party members to leave the party as the Lakas leadership have been bothered by claims of NP officials that some Lakas mayors are "just Lakas in paper". Most of them, if not all, have no NP opponents.
"This will only strengthen the local party structure and allows us to consolidate without the distraction of local intramurals," Lim said.
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