FAKE COALITION SHAKES LAKAS
The Bohol Chronicle
issued on March 21,2010
The Lakas stronghold in Bohol tries to revive the party unity after stumbling on the ploy of a beguiling alliance that only benefits the other opposotion candidates at the expense of supposed leaders going to the May 2010 polls of standard-bearers.
Gov. Erico B. Aumentado, a veteran in politics, claimed that his giving of the benefit of doubt of the existence of a coalition of Lakas-Kampi-CMD and LDP ( that Cong. Edgar Chatto and company introduced ) became his own undoing even as he embraced possible reconciliation with staunch political adversary, former governor Rene relampagos.
Aumentado issued the statement during last Friday's episode over his weekly radio program, "Governor Reports" as a response to the allegations that he maintains some attachment with the Nacionalista Party presidential bet Sen. Manny Villar and its local slate led by Vice-Governor Julius Herrera and former provincial administrator Tomas Abapo Jr.
These acts were earlier tagged as " acts inimical to the party".
In a press conference on March 15, his supposed party mates who turned out to be his critics led by Chatto; Cong. Roberto Cajes whose wife ,Trinidad Mayor Judith Cajes, is running against him in the congressional race in the second district; blamed Aumentado for the emergence of factions of the local slate of Lakas-Kampi-CMD.
They accused Aumentado of being the mastermind in the "rebellion" of local administration candidates led by League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP)-Bohol chapter president and Catigbian Mayor Roberto Salinas; Provincial Board Member Josephine Jumamoy, and son Mayor Jose Jono Jumamoy of Inabanga; Liga ng mga Barangay (LnB) executive vice-president Dr. Romulo Cepedoza from Poblacion Danao ; candidate for Board Member Dr. Mutya Kismet Tirol- Macuno- daughter of former governor David Tirol and Board Member Amalia Tirol; Jagna Mayor Exuperio Lloren, past LMP president; Danao Mayor Thomas Gonzaga; Getafe Mayor Ma. Theresa Camacho, Lila Mayor Telesforo Balagosa, Buenavista Mayor Elsa Tirol, Talibon Mayor Juanito Item, Dagohoy Mayor Germino Relampagos, Jagna Councilor Senen Loren, Mabini Mayor Stephen Ranches.
Aumentado allegedly attracted the loyalty of these Lakas stalwarts to lead the exodus to NP.
However, Aumentado pointed out that the party had seen sailing smoothly in Bohol politics under his watch and Chatto's leadership and political ploys, including the import of LDP's former governor Rene Relampagos, made a breakup inevitable.
The governor challenged Chatto to be "man enough" to admit the real score in his arrangement with Relampagos as he had denied having contact with or knowledge of the political plans of the former governor.
Aumentado pointed out that Chatto negotiated the LDP coalition even before he became provincial chair as his letter sent to the governor informing about the coalition was dated November 24.
Moreover, calling it a collective decision only means the internal arrangement among Chatto, Cajes, Former congressman Eladio Jala and son Cong. Adam Relson jala, and former agriculture secretary Arthur yap who was the last to sign- had already been hatched earlier.
Aumentado said he was never asked to participate in deciding on the coalition, nor the Lakas presidentiable Gilbert Teodoro as they were just informed of what appeared to be an internal agreement of Chatto's group.
Trusting Chatto and the other signatories, Aumentado did not bother to check and embrace it automatically considering that they were all supposed to be "statesmen and elected officials".
The suspicion only cropped up when some Lakas-Kampi-CMD mayoralty candidates complained of being challenged by LDP candidates.
So he verified it with DILG Sec. Ronaldo Puno when he went to Manila last week with Talibon Mayor Juanario Item to request for an ambulance. He had also verified it with Sen Ed Angara of LDP when he met him during the meeting with Korean Ambassador Choi Joong Kyung in Manila.
Both Puno and Angara said there is no coalition between Lakas-Kampi-CMD and LDP at present. the coalition was only for 1995 elections.
On Chatto's pronouncement that the coalition has the approval of the national party hierarchy, Aumentado said the comelec record shows that Relampagos is using an LDP CONA.
Relampagos explained that he chose to submit his LDP CONA for the May election, though he has a CONA from Lakas-Kampi -CMD.
The governor said he is willing to reconcile with Relampagos but only when the former governor would transfer to Lakas and the present political rift would be settled.
On the other hand, Aumentado also expressed disappointment why it took Chatto until noon of December 1 - the last day for filing of candidacy- to give his CONA when the records at the Lakas-Kampi-CMD office in Manila showed that the congressman already had it in his hands as early as Nov. 19, 2009 yet.
The governor said he assigned Chatto to claim the CONAs of Bohol Lakas-kampi -CMD candidates on Nov. 19 which signifies thta he had informally turned over the leadership to the congressman then.
Aumentado said Chatto only brought his CONA to his house after "Frantic calls" to Malacanang.
Chatto explained that BM Ae Damalerio, whom he asked to deliver the governor's CONA, forgot to do it.
Moreover, the governor said he learned thta Chatto's group went to Manila right after the March 15 press conference and requested for the ouster of the Salinas group.
However, the Manila Lakas stalwarts signified that the party had expelled only one group- the Ampatuans because of the massacre, and no other partymates.
The governor revealed an information he gathered thta Chatto's group allegedly threatened to transfer to Liberal Party if the Lakas hierarchy will refuse to give in their request to oust the Salinas group and Aumentado.
Aumentado said that alliance is possible since he had witnessed how close is Chatto to Sen. Francis Pangilinan who can serve as his link to LP.
POLITICAL CAREER
Aumentado admitted having stepped into politics through the prodding of the late Boholano President Carlos P. Garcia of the NP who groomed him for a seat in the provincial board in 1967, and even lending him campaign funds.
He also disclosed having won as vice governor in 1988 under the umbrella of NP.
The governor explained that he had to transfer to lakas-NUCD under then President Fidel V. Ramos in 1993, so he could get the President's approval for the multi-billion- peso mega projects in Bohol.
But he clarified that it was with permission from Ambassador Eduardo Danding Conjuangco, the chairman emeritus Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) and uncle of Lakas-kampi -CMD presidential bet Gilbert Teodoro.
The governor explained that he had to implement Garcia's dream projects fro Bohol that the late president could have implement himself had he not lost his second attempt to the presidency.
These projects include the concreting of roads, Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Projects phase 1, Bohol Irrigation Project phase 1, Leyte- Bohol Power Interconnection Project.
Since then, Aumentado had stayed with Lakas, along with member governor David Tirol and other leaders from Bohol, Cebu and the Visayas, until the subsequent elections in 1995, 1998, 2001, 2004, 2007 and the present.
Indeed, an hour after his and Tirol's oath- taking before Lakas, Ramos signed these mega-projects.
In fact, Aumentado ran for governor in 2001 against LDP's "One for all, All for one" team of Relampagos, with then vice governor Chatto for congressman, Herrera ( who was then mayor ) running for vice governor, then board member Abapo, BM Conching Lim, BM Roygie Jumamoy and former Cong. Eladio Jala.
Yet, Aumentado toppled the "One for All, All for One" team who even issued a statement to the media then refusing to join Lakas as it was the governor that President Arroyo picked out as official candidate of Lakas.
Aumentado lamented that he lost by 18,000 votes in Balilihian, chatto 's biliwick. But he got a whopping 50,000 majority lead in the second district.
Aumentado had eventually convinced Chatto and company to join him in Lakas in the following elections since 2004 and the governor's leadership smoothen the political waters in bohol.
he said he never expected the political harmony he had forged with Chatto's group would turn sour after his fielding of LDP candidates against Lakas stalwarts in several towns and the replacement of Salinas with Relampagos disgruntled the members.
The governor said he never expected that Chatto and company would betray hm to the extent of coming up with a master design to oust Aumentado from Lakas which he organized in the province.
Aumentado said Chatto can check with Rev. Msgr. Ignacio Reyes, the vicar-general of the diocese of Talibon, who had witnessed during the Seattle convention of conbusac last year that the governor made a pronouncement that he would choose Chatto for the gubernatorial slot of lakas in bohol to be paired with Cajes from the second district for vice governor to balance the party ticket.
Chatto has even confirmed it with reyes ,the governor said, and he still therefore could not understand why Chatto doubts his commitment.
The governor said that he even tried to negotiate that Herrera would run for congress to give way for Chatto and cajes for vice governor, without knowing that Chatto had secretly arranged with Lim to be his running mate which then worsened the situation.
Herrera even proposed to settle it through a toss coin wherein if it favors him, chatto would field his wife, Pureza for Congress ,and if its favors Chatto, he would be willing to run for Congress.
But Chatto refused to accept it, so Aumentado commissioned the HNU Research Center and the DILG to conduct a survey on who among Lakas-kampi-CMD stalwarts will Boholano choose for the different provincial positions.
The survey showed Chatto as preferred by respondent for governor and cajes for vice-governor, Salinas for congressional seat in first district, Aumentado for the 2nd district, and DA secretary (then) Arthur Yap for the third.
As regional chair and still the provincial chair of the party at the time, the governor's endoresement to the Manila hierarchy of lakas-kampi-CMD included Chatto for governor, Salinas for congressman in the first district, himself for second district and Yap for the third district.
"Tungod kay nakita sa akong survey ug ubos sa memo circular nga giisyu ni kanhi party secretary general Gabriel Claudio , I submiited on Nov. 21 sa akong numbramento to Secretary general Francis Manglapus nga maoy nipuli kang Claudio sukad niadtong Nov. 19, 2009.
Aumentado attached the survey results of for the vice-gubernatorial candidates. With slim chances to get party nomination from Lakas, Herrera and Abapo transferred to NP.
The governor said Chatto has been aware that he would get his nomination as he learned about the survey result first, chatto being with the governor often then.
Aumentado also belied chatto's claim that he never called a consultation to discuss the issue on salinas congressional bid.
But sensing that chatto really wanted Relampagos in, aumentado said he asked Chatto to convince Relampagos to officially join Lakas and he would not hesistate to support him.
However, when Aumentado asked former Constitutional Convention delegate and political guru of Bohol, Loon's Chito Castillo, if it was possible for Relampagos to join Lakas in case he was interested to run for congress in first district, Castillo allegedly said that "as of now, to be identified with President Arroyo is a kiss of death."
So he told Chatto when they were in Manila then that there were interested partymates for congressional seat in first district, citing Salinas who has an advantage as LMP president, since Corella Mayor Vito Rapal and Panglao Mayor Benedicto Alcala were not as serious with their bids.
That's why the governor included Salinas in the survey and eventually emerged as the most preferred among Lakas-Kampi-CMD stalwarts.
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