The Lakas party revolt which escalated into a shooting war of harsh rhetorics has dragged a big-time party stalwart in Gov. Erico Aumentado, former provincial party chair but concurrently the regional party chieftain. Since the so-called party rebellion torn apart the once dominant party in Bohol , Gov. Aumentado chose to distant himself from the raging intramurals. Until Friday during the Governor's Report where he broke his silence against the backdrop of the protagonists in a back and forth exchange of bitter broadsides over the city's radio stations and the pages of the local newspapers. What triggered the escalating infighting was the manifesto of 11 Lakas party mates which mentioned about treachery and deception by current party elders headed by Cong. Edgar Chatto, now the Lakas provincial chair. The strongly-worded manifesto was answered with another position paper, this time, with the signatories incumbent Lakas mayors and several candidates of the party in the towns. It was tit-for tat from there as both parties were engaged in a seesaw battle of position papers seeing print in this paper until today's issue.
GUV'S CONCERNS
At least three concerns were advanced by Gov. Aumentado in reaction of the Lakas rebellion. On the issue of Rene Relampagos who became the favourite whipping boy in the on-going conflict as an unwanted congressional wannabe in the first district, Gov. Aumentado said he was never consulted regarding the former governor's bid. Aumentado said the next time he heard was that he was made to sign an endorsement that Relampagos was the candidate for first district congressman. The Relampagos entry in the party as coalition partner (he is a member of the Laban ng Demokratiking Pilipino (LDP) reportedly caught the former Lakas chair by surprise. But just same he signed the endorsement after seeing the names of Cong. Chatto, Roberto Cajes and Adam Relson Jala. Former solon Eladio Jala and former agriculture secretary Arthur Yap were also signatories of the Relampagos endorsement as Lakas bet for first district congressman.
It turned out that the Relampagos accommodation was the turning point of what appeared to be tell tale signs of the party break up. Catigbian Mayor Roberto Salinas who was earlier promised by party bigwigs to be the party's congressional hopeful was slighted upon learning that he was waylaid on the way to his congressional anointment. It was Salinas who led the Lakas “rebels” in signing the first manifesto which minced no words about party treachery and deception. The Catigbian mayor packs a lot of wallop in signing the manifesto considering his position as president of the League of Municipalities, Bohol chapter. Two former LMP big shots, Board Member Josephine Socorro Jumamoy and Jagna Mayor Exuperio Lloren were also prominent signatories in the series of position papers.
ANOTHER ISSUE
Another issue which Aumentado expressed dismay was the way the Lakas hierarchy handled the animosity within its ranks. According to the governor, he was expecting the new provincial leadership headed by Cong. Chatto to at least call a meeting to thresh out kinks within the party. Aumentado said since the party rift erupted into the open, there was no signs that the provincial leadership was employing damage control to prevent the dominant party from disintegrating. Asked to react on the move of rebellious Lakas leaders in signing at least two manifestoes, the governor said he respected his party mates sound judgment by letting out pent up emotions against their Lakas peers. On an impending exodus of Lakas members bolting to the party of Sen. Manuel Villar, Aumentado said , if this is so, then he will also respect whatever decision they will make. Talks are rife that during Villa's visit to Bohol next week, several Lakas mayors will take their oath of affiliation to the new party. This grapevine talks, however, are yet to be validated, whether they are just plain talk or it has a ring of truth to it.
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