Loay Mayor Rosemarie Lim-Imboy who is the president of the League of Municipalities, Bohol chapter, remained clueless of the impending invasion in Bohol of jai-alai, a spectator sport based in Cagayan Valley where a jackpot prize is a three-number winning combination. In the days of old, jai-alai became the source of another illegal number derivative known as “masiao”. In the case of this new game in town where it picks Alburquerque as the nerve center of its entire Bohol operations, there are reports of sporadic betting in some towns as handlers are yet to formalize their business permits in several municipalities as part of its eventual presence all over the province. According to Mayor Imboy, she is yet to meet any person connected to jai alai if she is in favor or not of its entry in Bohol.

While Mayor Lim-Imboy is on a “ wait-and-see mode”, City Mayor Dan Lim remained vocal in his opposition to keep this city off limits of jai alai. Mayor Lim yesterday vowed to oppose the opening of jai alai betting stations in Bohol “even if I have to do it alone”. Lim made the promise during his radio program “Ang Mayor Sa Dakbayan” aired live over Station DyTR AM every Saturday morning. “Without equivocation, I am declaring my opposition not only to the resumption of jai alai activities but also to the opening of betting stations here,” the mayor said. Lim earlier dared Gov. Edgar Chatto to make a categorical stand on the entry of jai alai in Bohol. Chatto issued a statement saying he is opposed to gambling but Lim was far from satisfied saying the governor's actions did not match his public pronouncements. “If I were the governor, I will summon all the town mayors and tell them that I am opposed to the operation of jai alai in the province,” the mayor said.

Lim added that if there are mayors who insist in allowing the opening of jai alai betting stations in their towns, he will take it to mean as an act of disobedience and belligerence. Two weeks ago, Alburquerque Mayor Efren Tungol admitted he has allowed the operation of a betting station in his town. Lim described Tungol as one of Chatto's “most trusted mayors”. The city mayor also dared Provincial Administrator Alfonso Damalerio to clarify reports that he met with Charlie “Atong” Ang. The controversial gambling operator who was once identified as a buddy of former Pres. Erap Estrada but who turned against the deposed president in the plunder case filed against the latter by ex-Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Damalerio denied the reports days after he said he would “neither confirm nor deny” the meeting with Ang. Damalerio had since denied altogether that he ever met the controversial jai alai consultant.

Lim acknowledged that it would be difficult to show proof of the meeting between Damalerio and Ang since it was expected to be done in secret. The city mayor, however, said the eventual operation of jai alai in the province would be the best proof that the meeting indeed took place. Lim also accused Station DyRD and the Bohol Chronicle of conditioning the minds of the Boholanos when they reported that most of the Boholanos were in favor of the jai alai operation. Last Wednesday, the Bohol Chronicle headlined a story that most town mayors approved the jai alai operation. Bishop Leonardo Medroso of the diocese of Tagbilaran has openly appealed to the Boholanos to oppose the entry of jai alai in Bohol. Lim said he is happy to hear that the Roman Catholic church in Bohol is opposing the entry of jai alai which means “we are on the same side in this cause.”

Although he does not deny that he is a gambler, Lim has said no to gambling activities in Tagbilaran since his assumption in 2004. Lim pointed out that he has refused to issue any permit for additional lotto betting stations saying that the all existing betting stations were opened by his predecessor, former Mayor Jose Torralba. The mayor said the campaign against the jai alai operations brought out an irony. “Here I am, a known gambler, opposing the entry of jai alai while Gov. Chatto, who is not a gambler, is the one allowing its operation simply by not doing anything against it,” Lim added.