To many of his friends, he is not just pretty boy. He is also a friend of everybody and therefore why should he be labeled a crook? This summarized the reaction of the friends of Cong. Edgar Chatto who was accused by former OIC governor Victor de la Serna of being a crook along with two other Bohol congressmen Roberto Cajes, and Eladio Jala. The friends of Chatto who cut across a wide section of society—from contractors to municipal mayors and barangay captains were one in praising the first district congressman as an epitome of honesty and sincerity. Full story

Cooler heads tried last week to ease the tension gripping the management of The Ananyana Beach Resort and the municipal government led by Mayor Doloriech Dumaluan. With the intervention of tourism stakeholders like PTA General Manager James Dean Barbers, Gov. Erico Aumentado and Cong. Edgar Chatto, chair of the House Committee on tourism, the animosity between the two parties was somewhat diffused. As soon as the conflict broke into the open, both parties were ready to engage in a protracted court battle with the Ananyana management already preparing to hire topnotch lawyers in order to depend its interest in operating the resort in the Doljo Beach area. Full story

oTHE provincial government has formally offered to buy back its 70 percent share in the power and water utilities formerly operated by the Provincial Public Utilities Department (PPUD). In separate but similar letters already received by the Bohol Light Company, Inc. (BLCI) and the Bohol Water Utilities, Inc. (BWUI), Gov. Erico Aumentado offered to return the P155 million to the Salcon Group of Companies that bought the shares in 2001.----. Full story

Privatization plan of Choco Hills hits snag

CARMEN - Just as some people thought that all hitches regarding the privatization plan of the Chocolate Hills Complex have been properly ironed out when another irritant cropped up along the way making the proposal encountering another delay. It was even bruited around that the Choco Hills privatization was already a done deal only to find out that it has yet to hurdle a major snag. Full story