There was no marching order from Malacanang for the media apparatus of the provincial government to go full throttle but Gov. Erico Aumentado took the lead among local officials in calling for calm and sobriety in the wake of the revelations of Rodulfo “Jun” Lozada involving the controversial broadband deal. The Post tried to reach for veteran legislators Cong. Edgar Chatto and Roberto Cajes for their own reaction of l affaire Lozada but they were unusually silent. It must be possible that they forgot to answer the Post's messages or they simply ignored the same owing to its “combustible repercussions”.

Neophyte Cong. Adam Relson Jala was also sought of his reaction but there was no answer from his cell phone. The young Jala, however, was one of the signatories of the 83 neophyte lawmakers who expressed unconditional support to the government of Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Jagna Mayor Exuperio Lloren, president of the League of Municipalities, Bohol chapter, was also sounded off of his reaction but the Post's text messages went unanswered.

In his testimony in the Senate, Lozada, former executive director of the Philippine Forest Corp., an agency attached to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources blew the whistle of alleged kickbacks and huge commissions in the scrapped broadband project. The political tempest triggered by the Lozada revelations sent government men to initiate a spirited campaign to discredit the whistle blower. Propaganda primers entitled Rodolfo Noel Lozada, Jr.: Hero or Hypocrite were sent to Bohol media outlets and used as reference materials for mouthpieces of the Aumentado administration.

Lozada is the star witness in the ongoing Senate hearing on the scuttled $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with China 's ZTE Corp. Spearheading like a one-man propaganda machine, Aumentado's call for calmness and sobriety was aired during his weekly program The Governor Reports. It was aired live over three radio stations in Bohol and delayed broadcast over a fourth. Two of the stations are also heard around the globe through the Internet. “Let us rally behind our Constitution and the flag, and be one in our support for the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,” he said.

“This is time for unity and prayer – not for noisy rallies – so that the many projects we have been proposing to the NEDA [National Economic and Development Authority] Board under President Arroyo will be realized,” he said. Under no other chief executive except President Arroyo has Bohol experienced progress by leaps and bounds, he added. He also praised Bishop Leonardo Medroso of the Diocese of Tagbilaran for similarly issuing such calls to the faithful, and for giving his opinion and choice advice to his colleagues and the local clergy to also appeal for calmness – not stoke the fire of controversy now gripping the nation. Aumentado emphasized that the Filipinos do not need another EDSA.

“What gains did we get from the administrations of former Presidents Corazon Aquino and Joseph Estrada – the beneficiaries of EDSA 1 and 2?” he asked. The governor does not find any wisdom in changing horses in midstream. “But if we must change leaders before her term ends, it should be by impeachment, with the process starting at the House of Representatives, not by people power,” he said after Rep. Jose de Venecia (Pangasinan, 4th District) joined the opposition following his ouster from the Speakership. (With reports from June Blanco)