Bohol leaders made up of Gov. Edgar Chatto and the entire Liberal Party slate dismissed yesterday as nothing but baseless fabrication an opposition claim of “trouble in paradise” recalling the propaganda line of Hitler’s mouthpiece Joseph Goebells that a lie repeated countless times becomes the truth. Admitting that the ruling party in Bohol was a recipient of a politically damaging black propaganda published as a paid ad on a national daily, Gov. Chatto and his LP allies who included Cong. Rene Relampagos, Trinidad Mayor Roberto Cajes who is running for congressman in the second district and V—Gov. Concepcion Lim also branded the allegations that Bohol is on the brink of ripening political violence and instead urged Boholanos to stay vigilant against any acts that would mar the electoral process in May. In a press conference yesterday at the Governor’s Mansion billed as a gesture of damage control, Chatto said he is confident that Boholanos are not naïve enough to embrace the allegations manufactured by a group called Bag-ong Bol-anon.

“Limpyohan nato ang ngalan sa Bohol nga gihugaw-hugawan aning mga tawhana,” Chatto said in reaction to the open letter addressed to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, alleging among others that the political violence is ready to erupt here anytime soon. Chatto dismissed the speculation by saying: “Mao niy ilang plano ang pagdala ug kasamok sa Bohol.” An expensive full-page ad published by The Philippine Star on Friday bearing a headline “An appeal for a clean, orderly and peaceful election in Bohol” stirred the hornet’s nest of the officialdom of Bohol, compelling officials of the province to call on a press conference as a form of damage control against what they described as “opposition tyrants.” “We do not want to be purveyors of bad news, but someone has to do it,” the letter to President Aquino said in the introduction which was signed by Carmen Mayor Conchita “Che” Delos Reyes who instead used Toribio in that letter, City Mayor Dan Lim, and Aris Aumentado, the political nemesis of Roberto “Ondoy” Cajes, both seeking the congressional spot of the second district of Bohol.

“There is trouble in Bohol, the island province we call God’s Little Paradise. A trail of dead bodies is proof of this. Their names may not be big enough to grab headlines, but this does not diminish the gravity of the situation,” the scathing letter continued. The letter then listed several incidents of shootings and murders that happened in the Northeastern part of Bohol during the past months which was made as benchmark of a looming political chaos here. But officials in Bohol were quick to dismantle the allegations, saying that the reported killings were not related to politics but either had something to with business dealings or land conflicts. The target of the letter was no less than the Provincial Police Director Constantino Barot Jr., whose relief of post was specifically demanded by Delos Reyes, Lim, and Aumentado. Also targeted were Third District Congressman Art Yap, Regional PNP Director Marcelo Garbo, and Jane Cajes, daughter of Ondoy Cajes.

The signatories of the letter had demanded “the immediate conduct of an impartial and credible investigation into the unsolved murders in Bohol’s second congressional district by concerned agencies of the government.” And that Bohol should be turned over under “Comelec Control,” the letter writers asked the President. Replying to the insinuations of hyped political pandemonium in Bohol, First District Congressman Rene L. Relampagos blasted City Hall for employing ex-convicts who are now members of the so-called City Task Force. Relampagos hinted of druglords and warlords in the opposition side who have the vision of sowing election terror come May 13. “Mao man gyud ni ilang plano, magdala ug kagubot sa Bohol,” the first district solon said. He mentioned of cars used by Bag-ong Bol-anon bets that have no plate numbers as signs of lawlessness. Relampagos called on Boholano constituents “nga dili magpalingla.”

Cajes, for his part, said he does not believe that the letter addressed to Pnoy would scuttle the confidence the President has on his LP followers in Bohol. “Don’t tell me motuo ang Presidente aning mga bakak,” Cajes said of the allegations pointed out in the letter. “The President cannot be deceived,” the Trinidad town mayor declared. Cajes then lambasted the character background of Bag-ong Bol-anon candidates, citing of several estafa and swindling cases allegedly filed against Delos Reyes, who is out on bail. The former congressman also criticized Mayor Lim for violating election rules in relation to the latter’s overstaying radio program despite Comelec ban. Cajes said that from 2001 to 2010 there was no election violence in his district until the arrival of Bag-ong Bol-anon.

SERIOUS ALLEGATION

The governor vowed he would use the full force of the law in order to maintain a peaceful and orderly election in May. “We will take seriously against what they plan,” Chatto said. “Please report to the police regarding guns and goons in your town, have it blottered, and call Tarsier 117.” Chatto lamented that the letter to Aquino had tried to portray Bohol as a chaotic place where incumbent officials are conspiring to wreck political havoc. He said the unintended consequence of such “irresponsible” portrayal is the tourism industry Bohol, as the first casualty of the black propaganda. “Ang katawhang Bol-anon ang ilang gipakauwawan. Ilang gimansahan ang ngalan sa Bohol ug ang dungog sa mga katawhan,” Chatto said. The governor pointed out that the unsolved killings and rampant drug trade are in Carmen and Tagbilaran which he said are a reflection of the kind of leadership in these two places.

FAKE MONEY

Alarmed over the proliferation of fake P1,000 bills in Bohol, Chatto has warned Boholanos not to sell their votes in exchange of fake money. The fake money was first reported in the towns of Carmen and Tubigon. “I call on all Boholanos to guard their rights to vote,” Chatto said, “let us fight against all forms of harassment.” The governor also vowed to bust the private army allegedly cuddled by the opposition group. “Dili ta pabor sa guns, goons, ug gold,” he said. On the other hand, Vice-Governor Concepcion O. Lim expressed sadness over the possible impact of the letter addressed to Aquino. “It is the Province that will suffer,” she said. “Ngil-ad ning ilang gibuhat. Puro man bakak ning gipangsuwat,” Vice-gov Lim said of the open letter.

JAMBY MADRIGAL AS GUEST

Senatorial candidate Jamby Madrigal was also in attendance during the press conference. The lady senator bet promised she would continue her environmental advocacy in Bohol which she already started when she was senator. Madrigal was welcomed by Chatto, Cajes, Relampagos, Atty. Dodong Gonzaga (LP bet for Mayor) and Toto Veloso (LP bet for city vice-mayor) and by members of the LP city slate. Veloso plays key role in pal’s rise Now it can be told. Vice mayoralty candidate Jose Antonio Veloso of the ruling Liberal Party played a key role in the rise of his team mate lawyer Agustinus Gonzaga in the tight mayoralty contest for city mayor. A survey result released by the camp of Gonzaga showed that the lawyer-aspirant posted a commanding lead of 34 percentage points.

According to Veloso, his key role in forming a solid coalition with Gonzaga bore fruit with the rise in his running mate’s survey ranking. Veloso also attributed Gonzaga’s impressive showing to a machinery that started in motion after the people of Tagbilaran were convinced that the time has come to usher in a new city hall leadership. It was indeed to the credit of Veloso who made a supreme sacrifice to lower his sight from city mayor to vice mayor. Early in the electoral game, Veloso was a mayoralty timber only to change course when party bigwigs led by Gov. Edgar Chatto and Cong. Rene Relanpagos prevailed upon him to give way to Gonzaga. Veloso who started as city councilor in 2001, went on to be reelected as number one councilor in 2004. He was elected as city vice mayor in 2007 making a formidable mayoralty bet in 2013 if not of Gonzaga’s entry in city politics. But there was no regrets for Veloso in running for vice mayor in the coming polls.

Taking the cudgels of the local opposition following the defeat of his mayoralty partner in 2010, former city mayor Jose Torralba, Veloso moved on to carve a name of his own as leader of the credible opposition. As chair of the city party directorate, he succeeded in touching base with the forces of Gov. Chatto his brother-in-law, and Cong. Relampagos to form the Gonzaga-Veloso Express. It was the joint efforts of the GV Express that it has become a formidable alliance resulting in the phenomenal rise of Gonzaga in the recent survey showing its standard bearer on top of the three-way race. As city councilor for two terms, Veloso was best remembered as having crafted such landmark legislations as the Investment, Incentive Code of the City of Tagbilaran, One Stop Shop with the Anti-Red Tape Program of the Government and the regulation of water refilling stations in this city. It was during his stint as city councilor that he authored the Blue Card Ordinance and the Botika sa Katawhan, two flagship health programs of the city administration. The “Botika” is a joint undertaking of the city government and the private sector.