Lakas holds loyalty check; breaks ties
with "traitors"

Anticipating the departure of more "treacherous" members who have shifted their support to the dominant opposition in the province, the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD rounded up all its mayoralty bets in 47 towns and the city Monday for a loyalty check.

The words that came out of local party officials were clear and precise: "We have to weed out party members whose loyalty belonged to the rival camp."

Lakas-Kampi provincial standard bearer and gubernatorial frontrunner Rep. Edgar Chatto called for a closed-door conference with the party's heavyweights after holding a press conference to counter a "calculated and deliberate" smear campaign against administration candidates by their own "rebel partymates".

Chatto - together with vice gubernatorial bet Board Member Concepcion Lim, Rep. Roberto Cajes, first district congressional candidate and former governor Rene Relampagos and former agriculture boss Arthur Yap, who is running unopposed in the third district - emerged from the closed-door meeting saying his camp is ready and organized for the start of the official campaign period on March 26.

The Lakas leadership said it will implement close monitoring within its ranks as disloyal members continue raiding partymates to join the Nacionalista Party (NP) of Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera.

"With the campaign period just days away, it is important that we know from all our members who really are for us and are with us," stressed board member Lim.

The provincial bets of Lakas are heavily banking on its much vaunted political machinery in the province that could deliver crucial votes for them.

But with the infighting of party leaders and the shift of loyalties, the tandem of Chatto and Lim could be in for a tough challenge from the opposition camp.

ATTACKS AGAINST GUV

The Lakas officials blamed Gov. Erico Aumentado as the "grand designer" of the "planned uprising" among some members which is causing the "mess" within the party.

Chatto and Cajes detailed how the governor gave out orders and orchestrated plans in waging an underground campaign to pirate Lakas members to the NP.

Cajes said the governor is doing the exact opposite of what he is declaring to partymates and the public.

Chatto said he was left with no choice but had to lash back at the governor, a man he has "so much respect", because he could no longer keep his silence when the public needs to know the truth and the lies that Aumentado has been peddling to damage his reputation, and that of the party's.

After the meeting on Monday, Lakas officials said they will continuously conduct meetings to determine who among its local leaders remain loyal to the party.

"We need to work together as one force," Chatto said.

Aumentado replies at "Governor Reports"
Simply taking his time, Gov. Erico Aumentado reserves his side of the story on Friday, during his weekly radio program "The Governor Reports."

Aumentado has been tagged by fellow Lakas-Kampi-CMD candidates under the leadership of gubernatorial bet 1st Dist. Cong. Edgar Chatto and 2nd Dist. Cong. Roberto Cajes as the mastermind in the rebellion of other partymates that led to factions of the local administration party split up.

When called by the Chronicle few hours after the press conference, Aumentado said he was still to review all issues raised during the presscon as he was presiding a meeting of the Provincial Development Council (PDC) when the conference was in progress.

He assured to answer the issues point-by-point during his weekly program aired live by the local radio stations every Friday, 7:50 - 9 a.m.

Chatto, Cajes, vice-gubernatorial aspirant Liga ng mga Barangay provincial federated president Concepcion Lim, former governor Rene Relampagos, and former secretary Arthur Yap dropped the bombshell in a press conference on Monday at JJ's Seafood Village.

Aumentado earned the brunt from Chatto's group for having gained the sympathy of partymates when his Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) was revoked only to be replaced by Trinidad Mayor Judith Cajes, wife of his protégé - Congressman Cajes.

These partymates who sympathized with Aumentado had also been reportedly disgruntled on sneaking in Relampagos from the LDP to become the administration party's congressional candidate for the 1st district in lieu of Catigbian Mayor and League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP)-Bohol chapter president Roberto Salinas who had to slide down to a reelection bid.

Chatto blamed Aumentado's late turnover of Lakas leadership in the sparks of unresolved internal issues.
Chatto expressed disappointment why Aumentado only turned over the leadership during the distribution of CONAs on Nov. 28 last year.

However, even before Chatto had assumed as provincial chair of Lakas, he had already initiated the negotiation with a local coalition with LDP to accommodate Relampagos as shown in his letter dated Nov. 24, 2009, informing the governor about the coalition with LDP.

Chatto complained why Aumentado, an outgoing provincial Lakas head then, endorsed Salinas.

Chatto's group reiterated the accusation that Aumentado will be supporting Nacionalista Party presidential bet Sen. Manny Villar, allegedly based on intelligence monitoring.

This allegation continued even as Chatto, himself, witnessed that Aumentado endorsed Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential bet Gilbert Teodoro to the barangays in occasions that the congressman rides on second district activities.

Congressman Cajes, for his part, questioned why the governor maintains rapport with Bien Unido Mayor Rey Niño Boniel and Getafe Mayor Tessie Camacho, who are not affiliated with Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

This only shows that the governor is inclined to support NP candidates, especially with his smooth working relationship with Vice-Governor Julius Herrera- -NP's gubernatorial bet, and runningmate former provincial administrator Tomas Abapo Jr.

For her part, Lim questioned the alleged involvement of governor's chief of staff, Provincial Government Media Affairs Head Antonieto Pernia, in the campaign for Abapo.

The governor reserves his answers to all the accusations on Friday when he finishes all the tasks for the week, as he finds it childish to stoop to this level of political stunts.

Bohol Poll survey out
The Bohol Poll survey which includes voters' preference for the May elections was released yesterday by the Holy Name University (HNU) Research Center.

The survey covers economic and political issues, aside from the voters' preferences.

On economic, majority (57%) of the Boholano household heads consider themselves poor while very few (3%) considered themselves not poor. Among the poor families, they needed P10,000 per month so they can surpass poverty and this was also true among not poor families.

On political issues, the provincial government was given highest in promoting tourism at +49 net satisfaction rating. This was followed by protecting the environment, +46, protecting life and property +24, providing support for the promotion of agriculture, +21, providing for livelihood/employment +17, ensuring adequate food supply, +16 while for reducing graft and corruption, it got a negative (-)24.

In the city, voters gave the city government relatively high net satisfaction rating on the efforts to ensure adequate drinking water, +62, protecting life and property +37, protecting the environment, +33, promoting investments, +30, managing traffic +24, providing livelihood/employment.

However, for reducing graft and corruption, the city government was rated with a - 20.

On social issues, half (56%) of the Boholano voters did not consider illegal drugs to be a problem in their locality. A quarter (28%) said it was not serious.

Identical to last year's result, wife battering has the highest incidence in the province at 31%. Two out of ten (20%) voters had heard of rape of children by a family member while few had heard of incidence of physical violence (17%) and husband battering (13%) in their locality.

VOTERS' PREFERENCE

Nationwide survey frontrunner Sen. Noynoy Aquino ranked first in the presidential race at 44%, followed by Sen. Manuel Villar, 24%, Gibo Teodoro, 6% and former Pres. Estrada, 2%.

Sen. Mar Roxas topped the vice presidential bets with 43% followed by Sen. Loren Legarda, 19% and Edu Manzano, 3%.

For congressional race, former Gov. Rene Relampagos topped in the first district with 51% while City Kagawad Oscar Glovasa got 22% and City Kagawad Edgar Kapirig, 9%. Gov. Erico Aumentado led in the second district with 55% while Mayor Judith Cajes got 15%.

In the gubernatorial race, Rep. Edgar Chatto topped the survey at 40% while Vice Gov. Julius Herrera got 22% and movie actor Cesar Montano had 17%. Because of a +/-5, Herrera and Montano were considered tie.

For vice governor, former DepEd Supt. Elpidio Jala got 29% , Atty. Tomas Abapo, Jr. 20%, Board Member Concepcion Lim, 13% while Alturas got 3%.

In the city mayoralty race, Mayor Dan Lim took a great lead at 70% against 17% of Vice Mayor Jose Antonio Veloso. Lim got relatively low votes in the ABC as against 79% of Class E.

For vice mayor, Atty. Nuevas Montes got 68% while Barangay Captain Glorivic Yap de la Serna had 15% and Rosalina de la Serna, 3%.