In what appears to be an ensuing seesaw battle of top secrets, the camp of Gov. Edgar Chatto released last night a document detailing an overwhelming sentiment of Boholanos favoring Bohol leaders joining the Liberal Party. The disclosure was in reaction to an exclusive report of this paper last week that Gov. Chatto has bolted his original party-- Lakas, and joined the party in power whose titular head is Pres. Aquino. This developed as City Mayor Dan Neri Lim blasted Chatto’s political posturing as nothing but pure and simple turncoatism. The war of secrets ensued after it was learned that Chatto’s jump to his new party was made as early as April where he took his oath of office before ex-Sen. Mar Roxas, LP president. On the other hand, the secret information of the lopsided survey report where 90% of Boholanos favored Chatto’s somersault to the LP was contained in a survey result conducted last April by the Holy Name University Research Center.

Why the survey result was buried in oblivion for two months is becoming the object of speculation whether it was deliberate or whatever. In blasting the bunch of turncoats, Mayor Lim challenged them to prove that allegiance to a party in power reaps dividends to the community. “I challenge them to enumerate the projects that were poured into Bohol because of their affiliation with the administration,” the mayor declared over his radio program aired live over Station DyTR yesterday. Lim dropped a bombshell last week when he exposed Chatto’s jump to the LP just a year after last year’s national elections where his former party, Lakas NUCD, lost miserably. Chatto himself confirmed his joining the LP even as his media handlers justified the move by saying it was needed so that the province can receive much-needed funding for development projects. The mayor, however, brushed this aside saying that Chatto’s hometown of Balilihan has not shown any sign of progress all these years that he has been part of the administration.

Lim traced Chatto’s political career that was characterized by his joining the administration party every time a new president is elected. He recalled that the governor was president of the Kabataang Barangay during the time of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, a candidate of the Lakas ng Bansa when he won as mayor of Balilihan during the term of Pres. Corazon Aquino, a member of the Lakas-NUCD during the time of Pres. Fidel Ramos, a member of the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino, one of the ruling coalition during the incumbency of Pres. Erap Estrada before going back to Lakas-NUCD when Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed power in 1998. Lim said he wants to know how the constant transfer from one party to another has benefited the people “just in case they know something I don’t know”. The mayor sarcastically said that if it is proven that being part of the administration is beneficial to the people, then he would also join the bandwagon. Lim has not switched affiliation since winning as mayor under the Nationalist People’s Coalition in 2004.

In spite of being with the opposition and “despite the harassment and persecution” he endured by the administration, Lim said he has managed to implement social and pro-people projects in the city. He also pointed to other performing local governments like those in Catigbian, Maribojoc, Danao, Inabanga, Bien Unido and Dimiao which do not have political patrons in high places like Balilihan which had a vice-governor, congressman and now a governor. Lim also revealed that Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino III places 16 th in Balilihan during the senatorial elections in 2007. “Pres. Aquino lost in Balilihan to former Secretary Gilberto Teodoro in last year’s elections, the only town in Bohol where the President was defeated,” he added. The mayor also noted that while Teodoro, the Lakas standard bearer won for president, it was then Sen. Mar Roxas who won in the vice-presidential race over Vice Pres. Jejomar Binay. “We are still trying to find out if the negotiations for (Chatto’s) support for Roxas took place before the elections because that would prove that he is a traitor to his own party,” he added.

Lim recalled that Chatto accused then Gov. Erico Aumentado of being a closet supporter of Sen. Manuel Villar, an accusation that would now appear hypocritical in the light of indications that he already negotiated with Roxas prior to the election. The mayor said it is now very clear that Chatto never had the party interest in mind, noting that the governor “imported” Rep. Rene Relampagos from the third district over Catigbian Mayor Roberto Salinas. “Remember that (Relampagos) was with the opposition but he chose him over (Salinas) was a loyal Lakas member who was president of the mayors’ league and was endorsed by the first district mayors,” Lim added. The mayor said it is interesting to listen to Chatto when he addressed Pres. Aquino considering his past hossannahs to ex-Pres. Arroyo. “I invite all of you to listen how he will try to impress Pres. Aquino during his first visit here,” Lim said with a laugh.   

9 of 10 BOHOLANOS

Notwithstanding Lim’s harsh rhetoric against Chatto’s brand of politics, his media handlers were oozing with confidence that the governor made the right decision. Citing the HNU survey sampling conducted last April, the 90% of Boholanos cannot be faulted for rallying behind Chatto’s decision to bolt the party he used to belong. In a statement, it said this means, nine of every 10 Boholanos prefer and support the alignment of their leaders with the President and the ruling Liberal party (LP) as it secures development. According to the same media statement, since day one, Aquino already assured the governor of support for Bohol’s development agenda. It said the governor’s development thrust was in harmony with that of the present national leadership. The rest of the press statement read: the result of the HNU Bohol Poll 2011 done from April 2-19 was consistent to the consensus spawning from earlier consultations by the governor and vice governor in different levels of alliance.

Boholanos in the Second District gave the highest positive response with 92% of them in favor. First District gave 90%; Third District, 87%; and Tagbilaran City, 85%. Showing political support to the national leadership and its development thrusts is also consistent to the Boholanos’ winning vote for Aquino and his runningmate, former senator and now incoming DOTC Sec. Mar Roxas, in the 2010 elections. The stunning, even close to being unbelievable, survey result could safely conclude the Boholanos’ trust in the wisdom of the capitol leadership to decide and guide them to prosperity avenue. Only 10%, or one of every 10 Boholanos, preferred the Bohol leaders not to join the administration party of Aquino because it does not guaranty developments, the survey outcome showed. While welcoming the Bohol leaders’ entry, Malacanang reassured the province of support for its development framework, including the gigantic new Bohol airport under the public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

Tourism, agriculture and its related enterprises, and information and communication technology (ICT), which sub-sectors engage in business and knowledge process outsourcing (BPO-KPO), are Bohol’s identified strong job and livelihood magnets. These exactly align with the priority thrusts of the Aquino administration. To respond, the survey gave two test statements, the first of which read: “Angayan gayud nga ang mga lider sa Bohol mokuyog sa pundok sa administrasyon ni Presidente Noynoy aron masiguro nga adunay proyekto sa Bohol para sa kaayuhan niini.” The second said, “Dili angayan nga ang mga lider sa Bohol mokuyog sa pundok sa administrasyon ni Presidente Noynoy kay wala kini kasighuroan nga mahatagan og proyekto ang Bohol para sa kaayuhan niini.”

NORMAL REACTIONS

Chatto said he is not surprised by adverse reactions, even malicious intrigues, from quarters who do not belong to them in the first place. They were naturally out of the consultation process, which is continuing down the barangay level because local leaders totally supporting the Bohol agenda are keen on manifesting their political support all the way to the national top. The HNU survey result alone already felt the pulse and positive outlook of the Boholanos who were not privy to the political consultation process among leaders and officials. The provincial board members have qualified their support for the Aquino leadership of the country, which could redound to more Bohol benefits. The other top Bohol leaders of the province have joined in the consultation rounds, spreading out the sentiment to rally behind the Aquino administration and making edge in securing local development support.

The governor can understand those who hesitate to move along their way since “we are a democracy in the first place.” With the diverse political faiths in the midst, what matters is the oneness of the Boholanos in the intent for progress of the province and upgrading of the quality of life, Chatto said. The capitol official said the national government needs local support and vice versa, which is crucial to determining the factor that can help push development through. Chatto, admired also in the time of then Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, had the consensus of the Bohol leaders known to the former president as a matter of courtesy thru her trusted confidante.

CREDIBILITY

Aligning to support the national agenda is an important aspect in political decision since the national leadership is seeking credible and reliable local partners. But the administration party is not into massive-scale “recruitment” because it is after of quality, not quantity, of leaders. For the administration, credibility is one crying need of a quality leader. According to the president of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), the Liberal Party has an apt body handling party membership and a top official of the province undergoes stringent sanitizing. This is the same course that top leaders of other provinces as well as congressmen who like to move to the administration have to pass through. Rep. Rene Relampagos of the First District is an LP member. Chatto said they have their own time for local affiliation, particularly involving municipal leaders. The governor said they are sure of their move and true to their intent, assuring the Boholanos that they are one in reaching the vision for Bohol and helping achieve the dreams for the nation.

HIGH PROFILE MEDIA ASSAULT

Meanwhile, the Post was in receipt of another press report from the governor’s office indicating a heavily-funded, sustained series of media attacks in the local, regional and national levels mounted against Gov. Chatto. Quoting highly-placed sources, the report said the media spin which emphasizes more on the negative, said the well-oiled campaign is a protracted demolition job. It mentioned about alleged fronts for a black propaganda drive against the present provincial administration. The demolition machinery started to churn out bad publicity arising from what it termed as the “warm welcome” of Pres. Benigno Aquino III and the administration party of the entry of the governor, Vice Gov. Concepcion Lim and other Bohol leaders. The same group plotting to destroy Chatto initiated the recent paid local newspaper advertisement against the governor and vice governor, said the reliable sources who are “concerned and well-meaning Boholanos.”

The sources also gathered reliable information commonly indicating that part of the grand scheme is to ruin Chatto’s credibility as the incumbent governor before his administration’s success can make him an even stronger leader. Chatto has steadily proved himself to be a finer man at capitol’s helm and a visionary leader who more than knows what it takes to materialize better plans for the good of all, fellows in public service said. Also, the governor, who has cultured his politics into brilliance in governance, has developed productive systems while instituting reforms, a number of them unprecedented, for effective, wider services. Chatto is presently in the US, sealing partnerships with different Boholano groups who are most willing to mix and match initiatives for their less-privileged provincemates back home. Sources said some public figures here already sniffed the alleged high-price media attack plot against the governor and his administration, but they have maintained trust in the dedication and capacity of the province’s number one official. The grand plan to “end” Chatto thru various levels of distorted media feeds could hugely cost to its brain---or masterminds---safely spending millions which sources are now being traced, they said.

This is “serious” because a government official and a public servant like Chatto is “hardly conquerable” by alone attempting to match his commitment, faithfulness, charisma and work attitude. The recent Holy Name University (HNU) Bohol Poll – Social Weather Station (SWS) survey gave the governor the highest people’s satisfaction rating among elected officials, including those of national stature. Chatto earned a 77% rating which his fellow government workers attributed to the governor’s “selfless servant leadership.” The rating is said to be the highest ever by a Bohol governor---and a statistical testament of the Boholanos to the public ways of Chatto. (With reports from Ven Arigo)