Barely a month after the May 13 national and local mid-term polls, names have popped up early as contenders for the presidency of the Philippine Councilors League- Bohol Chapter, the mandatory elections set this August. Incumbent PCL President Ramonito Torrefranca, who had been reelected as No. 2 Carmen municipal councilor said he is ready to face any challenger and he felt confident Gov. Edgar Chatto will support him even though he comes from the town of his (Chatto’s) fiercest opponent mayor Che Toribio. Torrefranca said he openly campaigned for Chatto in the last elections although he was in a hostile territory, being a councilor of a town controlled by Toribio.

Among the early birds for the PCL presidency is the top councilor of Getafe Antonio Ouano, Jr. who is a sibling of the prominent Ouanos of Mandaue, like Teddy Ouano a former mayor and board member and Lollipop Ouano elected No. 1 councilor of Mandaue. The Ouanos are in fast crafts business plying Tubigon-Cebu route and also own and operates a private wharf in Mandaue. Getafe councilor Ouano said he is determined to lead the PCL after he gave way to Torrefranca in the 2010 elections. He is on his third and last term and he has no choice but to go up for provincial positions. Ouano also sees the big potential for Bohol Island in the tourism industry and the plans to invite investors just like what he did for Getafe.

An elected PCL president sits as ex-officio board member in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. He added that he had already informed second district congressman-elect Aris Aumentado of his intention to run as PCL president. Aumentado and Ouano belong to the same United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) who challenged the administration Liberal Party candidates led by reelectionist Gov. Chatto. If the Torrefranca-Ouano contest pushes through, then it will be LP against UNA in the PCL elections. Other PCL post wannabes include elected city councilor, former third district congressman Adam Jala; No. 1 Inabanga councilor-elect Jono Jumamoy who is a former mayor; councilor-elect of Mabini Crispina Vergara, who is a former ABC Provincial Federated President and a protégée of Vice Gov. Concepcion Lim; and Loay councilor-elect Ruchelle Brigitte “RB” Imboy, daughter of couple Loay Mayor May Lim-Imboy and third district board member Brigido “Boy” Imboy.