RELAMPAGOS |
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Former
Gov. Rene L. Relampagos, who sounds quite disgusted
on the conduct of the last May 14 elections, appeared
to be hanging his gloves in politics after 13 years
of service in government.
Relampagos
who lost in his congressional bid against the son of
last termer Rep. Eladio Jala in the third congressional
district, told the Chronicle yesterday that the "irregularities
which marred the elections" pushed him to conclude
that it is indeed difficult to fight the "establishment,"
referring to the Commission on Elections which he branded
as "bias to those in power."
Relampagos
lost by 2,975 votes to Rep-elect Adam Jala during the
last elections. Jala pooled 65,081 votes, with Relampagos
trailing second with 62,106 votes, Board Member DionisioBalite
garnered 28,076 votes while lawyer Alexander Lim landed
fourth with 16,737 votes.
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He
denounced the Comelec for not giving him "a day in court"
when his counsel filed their protest before the Provincial
Board of Canvassers chaired by Comelec Prov'l Supervisor Veronico
Petalcorin against glaring irregularities particularly in
the results coming from the towns of Sierra-Bullones, Loay
and Pilar. Their allegations of discrepancies including the
denial of having been furnished copies of the election returns
(ER) and the certificate of canvass (COC) prevented them to
file their objections on time.
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Relampagos
said that while they were ready to file their petition
to annul the proclamation, they were deprived of the
official transcript of the proceedings which were needed
as documentary support to their petition to the Comelec.
The draft of the minutes was not even signed by the
stenographer since the documents needed the approval
of Petalcorin. Daily follow-ups to get the transcripts
proved futile until they decided to put off the filing
of the petition, Relampagos revealed.
He
repeatedly bared that the "pressure and intimidation
present in Sierra-Bullones could be the proof that discrepancies
happened in the canvassing of the election returns in
several precincts in said town where even the COCs given
to the NAMFREL were delayed."
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After
exerting efforts to file a protest with the poll body, the
defeated congressional bet told the Chronicle that he found
the efforts an exercise of futility considering the "establishment"
you are fighting against.
In
a press statement issued yesterday, Relampagos said that "we
can always bring our case to court but we are well aware that
under the present situation, the legal battle may be a futile
exercise."
"A
decision may not even be handed down until the next electoral
process," he continued.
NEW
DIRECTION
The
former governor, in his press statement challenged the electorates
"not to let another day pass and wait for the next elections
to be worse than ever."
Instead
of filing protests which results are not expected to come
before the next elections, Relampagos instead asked the cross-section
of the Boholano community to help "plant into the government
service, the seeds of awareness, education and moral strengthening."
In
his public statement entitled "Where shall we go from
here?" (published elsewhere in this issue), he challenged
the people to start thinking "what better way is there
to direct our efforts to a much nobler task."
Relampagos,
43, who is a former seminarian, rallied the Boholanos to reinforce
the initiative of the church and some well-meaning citizens
"for a clean, just and peaceful election even when there
is no election. Let us continue and maintain the faith that
one day our dreams and we dreamers will be one."
Even
without categorically saying that he is leaving politics,
Relampagos, in his press statement sounded another pitch in
his appeal to those "who believe in his undertakings,"
to dare move with him and "stand for what is right and
truly honorable."
Relampagos
who facilitated Jala to get elected as congressman when the
former was serving as governor in 1998 said in his press statement,
"it was painful to have been deceived by those whom I
have helped and trusted."
Jala,
serving his last term as congressman fielded his son, lawyer
Adam, to run for Congress against Relampagos in the last elections.
He
sincerely thanked his supporters, family and the noble men
and women he have met during his political journey for the
past 13 years while addressing specially those people in the
3rd district who "risked their lives to share their time,
talent, resources and votes."
POLITICAL
LIFE
Relampagos
who got elected as governor at age 31 remains as one of the
country's youngest provincial governors, but definitely, the
youngest in the province.
He
started his political life when he was 25 years old. He got
appointed as one of the "7 wise men" of then Gov.
Constancio Torralba in 1988. He was appointed during the Aquino
regime as provincial board member representing the youth.
His
first elected post came as vice governor in 1992 when he won
the second highest position in the province against three
bets, Dr. Bobong Yap, lawyer Jun Blanco and Rev. Fr. Margarito
Gonzaga. Gov. Torralba who ran for governor with Relampagos
as running mate lost to Gov. David Tirol.
In
1995, he won his first term as governor when he ran against
Bohol's "political wonder boy" David Tirol. He won
with then Balilihan Mayor Edgar Chatto as his running mate.
Relampagos'
second term as governor in 1998 came as a sweet victory when
he toppled former Gov. David B. Tirol.
After
serving as governor for six years, his political debacle came
in 2001 when he failed to win his third term as governor against
then Rep. Erico Aumentado. His running mate, then Calape Mayor
Julius Herrera won as vice governor against Dr. Yap who was
Aumemntado's running mate.
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