longcuts

They were colleagues in the good ole days of the Kabataang Barangay (KB) headed by its national president Imee Marcos.
Congressman Edgar Chatto headed the provincial group.
Unlike the current group headed by “nation president” Jane Censoria Cajes, the KB under Imee was a real force to reckon with.
For one thing, she was the daughter of the strongman Ferdinand Marcos whose word was the law; no questions asked or you’ll disappear.
In terms of affluence, well, there might be some similarity somewhere.
A texter told me that in the current crop of legislators, Cong. Ondoy Cajes has been listed kuno as one of the richest.
And I happen to believe that it’s possibly true.
* * *
Anyway, when Cong. Edgar Chatto started implementing his dream to replace Gov. Erico Aumentado, he also started contacting his former colleagues in the KB.
Right in their first meeting, the outpouring of complete support from the other KB presidents was spontaneous. The reception was also heart-warming.
It was a reunion of sorts.
There was no doubt in their minds whatsoever that it was one very important occasion.
* * *
Proof of their unity was revealed during a survey.
The mechanics of the survey say that the respondents need only to call and express his preference for governor.
One text message to all KBs all over the province and presto, mission accomplished.
As one, the KBs called up the radio station and right there and then, an outstanding survey rating was generated.
Congressman Chatto leads the pack.
Bravo.
* * *
When the opposition heard of the gimmick, it was easily duplicated.
And the result was reversed. Chatto was trailing.
No way, the pollster said, the result could not be utilized because it was corrupted.
So they did not report the result of the survey, although it was also available online.
Anyway, the survey gimmick was the KBs first victory in the battle of perception.
* * *
But when the CONA issue broke out and Chatto was accused of betrayal after that unity brouhaha in the church, in the Comelec and in Bohol Tropics during dinner, some KBs began to reconsider.
Some started asking if the Edgar Chatto that they knew before is the same Edgar Chatto who is asking for their support come May 2010 elections.
A ranking KB member told me a lot of their colleagues believe that somehow, Cong. Chatto was involved in the shenanigan with Cong. Ondoy Cajes.
Especially that Chatto has allied himself with the most notorious mayor of Bohol as his running-mate.
* * *
According to my KB source, some KB colleagues started thinking that long before the elections, they were not summoned.
Long before the elections, they were not recalled. As if they did not exist at all.
But when his political plans for governor were firmed up, that’s the time he started recalling his long lost KBs.
They realized right there and then that the hand of friendship was a fake. It was coated with something else.
It was nothing but political friendship. They were summoned because of the political ambitions of Edgar Chatto. Otherwise, they did not exist at all in his vocabulary.
Of course, the reaction was also spontaneous. There was no meeting of sorts. Perhaps, there were text messages but the point is, they shared the same apprehension over the persona of Edgar Chatto.
“Karong mga panahona, mi lie-low usa ko sa among KB-KB kay morag wa na ko kasabot ani. Mora man ug gipahimuslan lang mi ani” the KB source told me.
* * *
A lot of them, the source told me, still believe that Edgar Chatto is basically a good man.
But his political ambitions, the source said, stand in the way of his excellent virtues.
* * *
One of the issues raised by Catigbian Mayor and Bohol-LMP president Bert Salinas is they are treated as second-class citizens.
He was booted out from his congressional plans and in his place was installed an outsider in Rene Relampagos, an LDP. It was an LDP victory over Lakas-Kampi in a Lakas-Kampi backyard.
It was a terribly painful defeat for Bertsal.
So how did Edgar Chatto, as Lakas-Kampi provincial party chair, justify Rene Relampagos’ entry?
There was a coalition. And it was the decision of the national hierarchy to coalesce. See, we have nothing to do with that. So don’t blame me.
* * *
Last Friday, Governor Erico Aumentado said this is not true.
There is no such coalition being forged between Lakas-Kampi and LDP.
He got this confirmation from LDP president Edgardo Angara. Even DILG chief Ronaldo Puno made similar confirmation.
The only coalition they can think of is that in 2005.
So what coalition is Cong. Edgar Chatto talking about?
Is he making this up?
* * *
Remember that Cong. Chatto and Rene Relampagos are an old issue.
They did it together when the SALCON issue broke out.
Rene was the gov and Ed Chatto was the vice gov.
Rene merely implemented what Edgar came up in the SP with SALCON.
But in the election that followed, Rene was the casualty and Edgar was victorious. And that was because the blame was focused on Rene.
Credit that to Rene’s cockiness and Edgar’s smart diversionary tactic.
* * *
Anyway, the only way to justify Rene’s entry to Lakas was through a coalition.
Forge a coalition and presto, everything will fall into place. The problem with forging a coalition is they could not make it local otherwise, there will be mass exodus. And they would be charged of being a despot.
So to lend authority and credence, and escape scathing questions from the media, they have to have a coalition forged at the national level.
So that’s what they did.
Timely discovery is remote because who would challenge the word of Cong. Edgar Chatto?
* * *
But the disclosure of Gov. Aumentado last Friday destroyed all that.
There is no such coalition between Lakas-Kampi and LDP in the national level, save that in 2005.
This conflicts with the statement of Cong. Chatto, right?
* * *
Another issue raised by Bertsal is that as provincial party chair, Cong. Chatto did nothing to their request for a meeting to thresh out problems and concerns of the party.
Bertsal said they wrote to Gov. Aumentado but because Cong. Chatto is the provincial party chair, the matter was referred to Chatto.
When asked about this, Chatto spokesman BM Ae Damalerio insisted that Chatto acted on the matter.
Again, Gov. Aumentado said last Friday that Chatto did not do anything.
There was no meeting; no consultation either.
The gov said he even prevailed upon the group of Bertsal to wait for some time until Chatto has addressed the problem.
But nothing was done so Bertsal and company made public their loss of confidence to Cong. Edgar Chatto’s leadership.
The statement of Gov. Aumentado was corroborated by Jagna councilor Senen Lloren, who is running under Chatto as provincial board member in the 3rd district.
When interviewed by Dave Responte of DYTR, Lloren said Cong. Chatto did nothing about the matter.
That’s two in a row, right?
* * *
In the controversial incident in Bohol Plaza last week where Chatto and his running-mate Conching Lim came uninvited during the socials of the Buenavista officials, the popular belief that he is “sleeping with the enemy” was also confirmed.
In his campaign sorties, Chatto is doing the rounds with Trinidad Mayor Bebe Cajes who is not a Lakas-Kampi but an independent congressional candidate in the 2nd district.
Under ordinary circumstances, he should have been doing the rounds with the Gov because they are both Lakas.
And Cajes is not a Lakas.
So how come Cong. Chatto was with Bebe Cajes instead of the gov?
* * *
No need to answer, of course.
Cong. Chatto has decided to ally himself with Bebe Cajes and Cong. Ondoy Cajes.
And contrary to his public declarations, he is formally and informally endorsing her candidacy.
Which prompted the Gov to say that “kon disiplinado pa na siya nga party man, di unta to niya angay buhaton.”
Wa diay disiplina!
As in physics, if there is an action, there is always a reaction.
So if Chatto is for Cajes, should the Gov also work for the candidacy of Edgar Chatto?
* * *
Now, in last week’s PDC meeting, Cong. Chatto, Cong. Cajes and Conching Lim were invited.
But they did not come.
Instead, they sent representatives.
This prompted an observer to say “Wa na sila maanad sa kalihokan na invited ug guests jud sila, mas type nila ang mag-gate crash.”
Pagka-sakita!
And all the while, Conching Lim is boasting that “it’s all over but the counting.”
More when we return, stay tuned for more.

Vice Mayor Toto Veloso and city kagawads Bebin Inting, Djingo Rama, Edgar Kapirig and Kit Oppus have a lot of explaining to do.
The letter dated 15 February 2010 is the case in point.
For one, they used the letterhead of the 10th Sangguniang Panlungsod when the signatories do not include all the members or even majority of the members of the sanggunian.
I think it is misleading because the letter does not carry the sentiment of all the members or majority of the members of the sanggunian.
It would have been more prudent if they used the letterhead of the Office of the Vice Mayor.
* * *
Before signing the letter, they should have checked everything, especially the name of the Vice Governor.
It doesn’t feel good if your name is murdered, right?
Well, if Julius Caesar Herrera is a nobody, the misspelling can be excused.
But he’s the second highest official of the province, and more importantly, he’s the former boss of kagawad Kit Oppus.
So murdering his name was inexcusable.
* * *
Apart from the errors in spelling and grammar and use of inappropriate words, I noticed that there is something wrong in the context of the letter.
The letter-writer stated that the 10th sanggunian has not yet adopted the resolution from the city development council covering the rehab project upon which the subject 50 million loan is supposed to be expended or utilized.
This is wrong.
According to my source, the resolution in question has already been adopted in the 2010 annual budget.
* * *
Veloso, Inting, Rama, Kapirig and Oppus wanted a deferment of the review of the questioned resolution.
But Vice Governor Herrera said any inaction of more than 30 days on the part of the provincial SP means the measure is approved.
In their haste, they must have forgotten about this.
* * *
The “involvement” of the SP, Herrera added, is limited to checking on whether the act of the city sanggunian amounted to ultra vires act or acting beyond the scope of their delegated authority. Other than that, nada.
But more importantly, the provincial SP does not tinker on the substance of the resolution or ordinance.
Did Veloso, Inting, Rama and Oppus expect the provincial SP to intervene in the brouhaha in the city sanggunian?
* * *
By the way, Toto Veloso and company should better ask forgiveness from the incumbent Liga ng mga Barangay President.
They copy-furnished their error-filled letter to Dr. Romulo Cepedoza who is no longer the sitting Liga president.
And they should also apologize to the incumbent SK federation president.
They furnished Bobbith Cajes-Auza who is no longer an SK.
* * *
But the controversy over letters does not stop there.
I got myself a copy of the letter sent by a certain “Comm. Jane Censoria D. Cajes, SK provincial and Nation President.”
This letter is addressed to heads of all schools, colleges and universities in the city and province.
This is likewise addressed to all student body presidents of all schools, colleges and universities in the city and province.
So, can you imagine the number of recipients of the letter from “Comm. Jane Censoria D. Cajes, SK provincial and Nation President?”
What exactly does she meant when she called herself as Nation President?
* * *
She started her letter with an earth-shaking “Greeting in the name of Lord of Peace and Unity.”
Singular or plural, she must be thinking singular.
Okay, okay, typo error.
But she made the same greetings in her letter addressed to the SK presidents. This means that in all her letter, she is used to saying “greeting.”
The letter “S” must be lost somewhere.
And she said, ”My presence as the federation president and together with the consensus of the SSG/CSG presidents from the different schools agreed to have a maximum of ten (10) participants will represent each school…”
I have trouble understanding what she meant by that, okay, so pardon my ignorance.
And then she added “We are looking forward to a positive response to this invitation. I personally believe in your noble contribution to the Boholano youth as a young leader. This is our time to voice out our concerns and issues as we grasp the change we want to be, and we vote the right person to lead.”
So this is my reading.
She wrote a letter to the school presidents and invited them. She didn’t say though what the invitation was.
But she told them that they had already an agreement with the student leaders that each school would be represented by a maximum of 10 students.
So who got the invitation from Comm. Jane Censoria Cajes, the school presidents or the student leaders?
If the school presidents would not allow their students to participate, for one reason or another, and despite the previous agreement with the student leaders, does Comm. Jane Censoria Cajes intend do anything to compel them?
* * *
I wonder if Comm. Jane Censoria Cajes wrote this letter herself or designated someone as her ghost writer.
Whatever it may be, this is very embarrassing if we take into account her official positions.
I’m sure her teachers at the Holy Spirit School won’t be happy if they will get a copy of her letter. More so with the Assumption Sisters.
She should be more careful in writing letters. Better still, she should hire a more competent ghost writer.
If she can afford a Nissan Patrol, there’s no reason why she can’t afford to hire a better ghost writer.
* * *
Corella Mayor Vito Rapal has been quoted as saying he was very disappointed with Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera.
He reportedly blamed Herrera for the loss of the voting sheet that reflects the actual voting of the SB members when the supplemental budget was passed.
Herrera denied receiving such documents. And he retorted that if Mayor Rapal could produce his file copy showing that the Office of the Vice Governor has indeed received the original of the documents, then he would willingly accept responsibility for the loss.
Reasonable enough, right?
So I asked an ally of Mayor Rapal if this is true and his answer shocked me.
“Nasobraan ra man god ug pagarpar. Dili maayo nang magpalabi,” was his reply to my question.
He told me that it would appear that Mayor Rapal did not have a file copy of the documents reportedly received by the Office of the Vice Governor.
“Kon naa pa unta, sayon ra unta kaayo ang pagpakita sa iyang file copy. Ang problema kay walay kopya pod si Pare Vito,” was his explanation.
I also noticed some breach of protocol.
If there was such a loss of the voting sheet, how come Mayor Vito Rapal was quick to complain before his favorite media outfit but failed to communicate with Herrera?
Prudence dictates that he should direct his problem to the official concerned. This way, corrective measures can be undertaken sans unnecessary publicity.
But he channeled his complaint right away to the media without giving Herrera the chance to hear it first. Obviously, he wanted to embarrass Herrera.
I think there are some political undertones here.
Remember, Rapal is pro-Chatto. Anything that he can throw towards Herrera will greatly help the candidacy of Cong. Edgar Chatto.
* * *
The State of the Province Address of the governor last Wednesday was lengthy.
Took him more than an hour to deliver it. I wonder if he saw the bored, sleepy faces of the audience.
Actually, it was 25 pages in all.
Highlighted in the lengthy SOPA were the outstanding accomplishments of the governor during his 9 years of service as governor.
His swan song was replete with great achievements.
What was touching was his closing statement that it was not his achievement alone, but the collective efforts of every member of the capitol family.
More when we return, stay tuned for more!