Gov. Edgar M. Chatto has assured his Boholano constituents that their governor was not in any way involved in an alleged anomalous use of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) during his stint as congressman in the First District of Bohol. Chatto said he was shocked upon learning that his name has been dragged in a Commission on Audit (COA) report, linking him and two other former congressmen, Roberto Cajes and Adam Renson Jala – including former Agriculture Sec. Arthur Yap – in the alleged pork barrel scam. “We deny strongly in any involvement of any irregularity adtong mga ming-gawas nga istorya mahitungod sa PDAF sa mga congressmen, ako lang jud ning balikon jud ug istorya we deny categorically any irregularity… ang atong tanang project either tua sa National Government Agencies or mga LGUs as designated by the General Appropriations Act ug sa mga rules and regulations,” Chatto said during a live message aired over all radio stations in Bohol Friday.

Chatto, then the First District Representative for three terms before he was elected governor in 2010, explained: “Ang implementation dili sa atong buhatan tua sa mga agencies or ug duna man poy naa sa LGUs...ang atong communications ngadto sa mga ahensya sa time we were still congressman I always provided ug naa man galing nuh kay ato man jud na gihimong category nga ang NGO should not get involved in this particular project specially if they are not accredited.” The governor said that NGOs did not follow audit rules, regulations and procedures, he had sent communications to COA regarding this matter. “So, we would like it very clear kay ato manang gihan-ay nga mga guidelines prior to the implementations of such particular projects. So, we emphasis and wrote this emphasis ana nga proviso. Ang NGOs are not supposed to be involved if not compliant with audit rules, regulations including registrations and accreditation,” Chatto said. He categorically stated that all his communications to government implementing agencies of his PDAF projects contained a proviso, which would in effect object to the participation of any non-compliant non-government organizations (NGOs). In other words, Chatto set a prior condition to implementing agencies against tapping NGOs if they could not strictly comply with all regulations and guidelines, including auditing rules, to qualify as project implementors.

The regulations he consistently manifested to be observed also included the fundamental requisite accreditation by the agency concerned.  Chatto had sent a letter even to COA, reminding the agency of the condition precedent requiring compliance to COA rules, policies and guidelines. During his weekly live broadcast forum with the media dubbed the Kita ug Ang Gobernador, the governor welcomed the on-going inquiry to clarify issues. “It will be very, very good nga naa jud ang investigation ug proper furom nga gihimo karon so that all these things will be cleared out,” Chatto said. He believed the inquiry would clear the names of those not involved in any wrongdoing.
“Unya ato sab ni e-emphasize nga nag-welcome ta nga gihimo karon para dunay klarong clarification of the issues and ma-clear pud ang mga ngan sa wala ma-involved mahitungod niining bahina,” Chatto said. “If a particular project has been duly accredited by the General Appropriation with duly designated by rules and regulations nga maoy implementing agency, it does not necessarily mean nga imong pagbutang didto sa pundo pananglitan sa usa ka ahensya will automatically mean you also have committed yourself a wrong doing,” Chatto clarified.

Since the start of his public service career at age19, Chatto has kept faith in highest ethical standards as a public official and a servant leader. As governor, Chatto was conferred by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) the Dangal ng Bayan Award. He was honored through the Lingkod Bayan Award, also from the CSC, while serving as vice governor. No other Bohol official has ever been accorded both distinctions, which are regarded highest laurels in Philippine government service. Chatto said his over 30 years of dedicated and unblemished service to the people is a legacy he is determined to keep with God's blessings. Among his advocacies is participatory and transparent governance pursuing the principle of shared leadership. To date, Chatto is among the public officials without any pending case at the Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan and CSC. Chatto, after his election as governor in 2010, has transformed Bohol into a powerhouse model of good governance and transparency which had earned the province an accolade from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) as the “Best Governed Province in the Philippines” in 2011 and 2012.

CAJES AND JALA DENIED TOO

Meanwhile, former congressmen Cajes and Jala have also issued denials over their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam. Cajes said he welcomes any probe into the pork barrel scam so that his name would be cleared. Jala, in the same vein, told station DYRD he would also call for further investigation into the alleged pork barrel scam so that those who stole public funds would be punished. (VEN C. ARIGO / MIKE ORTEGA LIGALIG)