Clash vs Chatto more than a ‘battle royale’

She’s dynamic, tough and smart. Not necessarily in this order, this frank assessment came from a Boholano, a former senator at that and who is still nursing big dreams for Bohol even if he admitted that he has since kept a low profile in favor of another pressing concern. The superlatives were used to describe feisty Carmen Mayor Conchita “Che” Toribio de los Reyes and it came from the mouth of a prominent Boholano in former senator Ernesto “Boy” Herrera. Interviewed while on a Holy Week retreat in a world-class resort in Anda Friday, the former lawmaker made no bones of his lavish praises to the Carmen mayor the first time they met. “I found her dynamic and smart”, Herrera blurted, without batting an eyelash. And she is tough, too, he added. For a woman like Che, Herrera was impressed the first time they saw each other. Although the senator was not expecting a demure lady when he came face to face with a tough-talking creation, the first termer mayor is hugging headlines these days after she declared she is running for governor against incumbent Edgar Chatto. Knowing it’s a tall order for a challenger to face a title holder, Che said she loves challenges adding that this is one challenge that she was at “her best element”. She said the biggest challenge she hurdled was her conquest over poverty where she was thrust from one odd job to another just to make both ends meet. What was encouraging in Che’s case when she announced her bid for the governorship was the overwhelming support she got from big political animals in Bohol the likes of Cong. Erico Aumentado of the second district and City Mayor Dan Neri Lim. Although, the second district solon is still coy of his all-out support to Mayor Che, the veteran lawmaker added a new dimension to a previous statement that the Carmen mayor “was a good material”. This time, Aumentado added “very” to his good material stance when the idea of a Che-for- governor draft was presented to him. With the former Calape legislator adding his strong voice to Che’s candidacy, the more the Carmen mayor appeared determined to challenge Chatto if only to give him a good fight in next year’s elections. According to Herrera, the Che-Chatto showdown is more than a battle royale let alone that it was the first time in the history of Bohol politics that a woman is going to tangle a politician who has not experienced the taste of defeat since starting as municipal mayor of Balilihan. Heaving extravagant reviews to Chatto’s political record, Herrera said the young Chatto has established a name of his own in Bohol politics. But with the entry of the Carmen mayor in the gubernatorial derby, Herrera said there’s a big chance for a woman like Che to give Chatto “a run for his money” In the run-up to the 2013 elections, the plus factor that works to Che’s favor was that she was rumored to be financially loaded by virtue of her highly successful direct selling business known as Beauche International, an enterprise dealing in women beauty products and toiletress with a vast network of branches scattered nationwide and overseas.

SIGNIFICANT

Herrera’s appraisal of Toribio’s personality was deemed significant in the reality of Bohol’s politics where the former senator was once regarded as the acknowledged political mentor of two of Bohol’s distinguished politicians—Gov. Chatto and Cong. Rene Relampagos of the first district. The element of conflict appeared to be the underlying consideration in coming out with this news story as another candidate was featured in Herrera’s endorsement instead of his former protégees. Although they may no longer admit it, it is public knowledge that during Herrera’s heydays as two- term senator, the Calape legislator was the certified “baby-sitter” of Relampagos and Chatto when they were still struggling to become true-blue politicians that they are now. Herrera was a self-styled “Cory boy” during the magic years of the late President Cory Aquino. In those days, no major political development in Bohol would take place without the imprimatur of the “gentleman from Calape”. Now that they are leading separate political lives, with Herrera occupied with other concerns in labor unionism while Chatto and Relampagos the latest converts of the Liberal Party, one frequently question being asked is: what now of their previous political relationship. Asked if the Calape solon is still in touch with his protégées, he said they have since lost contact and there was no conscious effort on both sides to rekindle “dying political embers”. STRONG PERSONALITY What made the former senator think that Mayor Che is the right person for the job of Bohol governor , Herrera said the lady mayor’s strong personality is an effective asset to become an agent of change. Herrera said being tough, Mayor Che personifies the politician who calls a spade a spade. Taking potshots to politicians who change political colors at the drop of a coin, Herrera said the present crop of politicians are only good for as long as their patron showed the “color of money” Herrera said he abhorred the kind of politician who pledges undying support today only to change his mind the next day at the first sign of logistical support coming his way. ]Another factor that swayed Herrera to Che’s favor was her spectacular showing in her first attempt to run for mayor in Carmen. Winning the electoral battle in Carmen for the first time was no picnic for Che but just the same she clobbered an incumbent with a comfortable margin of more than 5,000 votes. Herrera was also impressed of Mayor Che’s success in business which she singlehandedly steered through sheer hard work and determination. “This is the kind of leader Bohol needs, one who throws all cautions to the wind because as a woman “it’s about time that women ascendancy” should be given premium in favor of trapo politics.