Tagbilaran Mayor Dan Lim yesterday hurled a challenge to the Bohol media to tackle the local connection of the P728-million fertilizer scam. The mayor particularly issued his challenge to a radio station and community newspaper which he said had relentlessly attacked him on the drainage problem. “Because they want to destroy me, they didn’t stop their attacks even after the flooding at the CPG North avenue has stopped,” he added. Lim pointed out that even if all the allegations against him on the problem is true, his only liability would be to prolong the agony of the people. “After we opened the San Jose outfall, the people affected by the flood are back to their normal lives,” he stressed.

The mayor however noted what he called “a huge disparity” in the treatment of the media organization in the case of Rep. Edgar Chatto. According to the list of beneficiaries of the alleged scam, Chatto as well as fellow Cong. Roberto Cajes and then Rep. Eladio Jala as well as Gov. Erico Aumentado were among the project beneficiaries. “If ever I committed a mistake in the drainage problem, it is only with regards to the solution but has nothing to do with any anomaly,” he pointed out. On the other hand, Lim said that officials named in the fertilizer scam stand accused of stealing the people’s money. “And yet, you can expect kid gloves treatment for Cong. Chatto,” he declared. The mayor said he is not saying that the first district solon is guilty but he is only wondering why there is no vehemence on the part of the media organization considering that the scam “is all about corruption”. “If I remember right, they launched an anti-corruption movement. I just don’t know if the congressman is one of their sponsors because they appear to be very timid and cautious about his participation in this controversy,” the mayor added. Lim is asking why the solon is involved in the project when his task as a legislator is supposed to be about making laws. “This is an anomaly in itself, but they see no problem with that because he is their candidate,” he added.

The mayor asked where the P3-M assigned to Chatto went, noting that for a long time Tagbilaran has not received anything from the congressman. Lim said that if Chatto had nothing to do with it, all he needs to do is to provide the list of the projects supposedly funded by the P3-M and determine if the funds were actually received and the projects implemented. “It is very easy for him to do because any congressman can obtain that list if he wants to. If I am not mistaken, Cong. Chatto is even the vice-chairman of the committee on agriculture so it would be easier for him to get the list,” he added. Lim said that if the congressman will not make any effort to come up with the list but simply wash his hands, it means he is not interested in the truth. If that is the case, Lim said the people will have to look elsewhere but it means Chatto knows more than he has admitted so far. “If it is difficult to wake up a person who is awake, it is more difficult to find out the truth if the person does not want to know it,” the mayor concluded.