For candidates of the October 29 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, hearing this kind of news is never pleasing to their ears: that Gov. Erico Aumentado and the three Bohol congressman will “stay neutral” in the coming political exercise. As a consequence, these candidates are now wondering aloud and may be waxing the tune of “Who Can I turn To”. To complete the bleak scenario of no funding support coming from the four Bohol officials, the candidates will have to beg, steal or borrow—to borrow a line from the same immortal song. The neutral stance given the coming elections of the four Bohol officials was their way of cushioning the impact of the alleged payoff scandal involving congressmen and governors last week. As a way to deflect suspicions that Bohol's Big Four was on Malacanang's take, Gov. Aumentado made no bones of his denial that he was not given a piece of the action. At least three governors, Ed Panlilio of Pampanga, Joselito Mendoza of Bulacan and Emilio Macias of Negros Oriental have already admitted having given their share of the cash gift of P500,000 each. Gov. Aumentado and the three congressmen-Edgar Chatto, Roberto Cajes and Adam Relson Jala, chorused that they did not receive the controversial payoff “because they went to separate appointments after the Palace breakfast”.

According to Cong. Cajes, he left early just after breakfast because he had to attend the weekly meeting of the House Electoral Tribunal (HET) which meets every Thursday at 9:00 AM. He said if given the cash incentive, he would not have second thought returning it to whoever was the giver. Like Cong. Cajes, Chatto also left early after the breakfast meeting because he had to catch up with the 2:00 pm direct flight from Manila to Tagbilaran. Rep. Jala echoed the same reason as that of Chatto and Cajes. They all both took the afternoon direct flight for Tagbilaran. Gov. Aumentado admitted having attended a meeting in Malacanang that fateful Thursday morning but according to him, he was there to deliver his valedictory address as outgoing president of the Union of Local Authorities (ULAP). He also denied having received the cash gift. The governor said he would do a Panlilio if ever given the cash dole out. Gov. Panlilio was the first provincial executive to have admitted having received the cash gift and declared he was willing to return it.

The four Bohol officials met at the airport to board the same flight for Tagbilaran. Boasting their close connection to Malacanang, it was ironic for the four Bohol officials to have been bypassed when the Palace handed out brown paper bags stuffed with crisp peso bills. There were conflicting accounts about the amount involved. Some said it was P500,000 for each governor and congressman while others reportedly got only P200,000. It was understandable that the four had to take the Thursday afternoon flight in preparations to President Arroyo's visit to Bohol the following day. The President commissioned the multi-billion Bayongan Dam last October 12.