GUV MOVING WITH DECISION AND PRECISION. The normally mild-mannered Gov. Arthur Yap (seated, right) is finally throwing shades at his critics. He is seen here very firm and decided as he affixes his signature on documents related to the cyber libel raps he has just filed against Emmanuel Ramasola. With precision of his decision, the lawyer-governor is being assisted by his lawyer Menedio Thaddeus Bernido (left). Photo courtesy of PRIMER.
Gov. Arthur Yap minces no words at his critics by saying that the request for investigation filed before the Ombudsman is nothing but plain old political harassment.
For good measure, the governor last week, Thursday, March 18, 2021 to be exact, also filed seven (7) counts of cyber libel case against his staunchest critic, Emmanuel “Willie” Ramasola, before the Provincial Prosecutors Office (PPO).
The governor, in an exclusive tell-all interview on “Newsmakers ug Uban Pa” radio program on Thursday (March 18, 2021) hosted by Ardy Araneta-Batoy and Gloria Leodivica Araneta, poured out his sentiments about the allegations hurled against him. Some listeners to the program noticed that despite all the allegations, the governor maintained his composure, calmness and well-mannered behaviour during the interview.
ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE GOVERNOR
On Wednesday, March 17, 2021, former Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Neri Lim filed a request for assistance (RFA) before the Ombudsman asking the anti-graft body to investigate allegations of anomalies related to several transactions or procurements made by the Provincial Government of Bohol (PGBh).
During the interview, the governor said that he has yet to receive and read the documents pertaining to the action filed before the Ombudsman by Lim. The governor, in the same interview, repeatedly said, “I am taking this matter seriously.”
“Klaro nag request sila [opposition] ug tabang sa Ombudsman na paimbestigahan ang provincial government, ako, si Atty. [Kathyrin] Pioquinto, ang Bids and Awards Committee,” the governor stated emphasizing that the action filed before the Ombudsman is not a full-blown case but a request for assistance to investigate alleged anomalies.
He said that he is confident that the Bids and Award Committee (BAC) of the PGBh will be able to defend its actions in the proper forum.
The governor assailed the motive of the person who filed a request for assistance against him. He added that clearly, politics is the motive behind the legal actions levelled against him. The actions, he quipped, are meant to malign and besmirch his reputation and the reputation of the BAC of the PGBh.
The governor lamented this reality prevailing in our democratic system where cases are filed to be used as propaganda in order to gain an upper hand in the next elections.
In his statement posted on Facebook also on Thursday, he said that he is not surprised about the fact that Lim filed a legal action against him before the Ombudsman.
The governor hinted during the radio interview conducted by Batoy and Araneta over dyTR that the political opposition of his administration is set to file legal actions “every week”.
“Ako klarong klaro nga ang intensyon sa pagpasaka ug sumbong [mao] ang pagdaot ug paghugaw-hugaw sa atong reputasyon ug sa reputasyon sa Bids and Awards Committee,” the governor bared in the radio interview.
In the same radio interview, Yap maintained his cool and asserts that during this time, when election fever is about to boil, the filing of cases against any incumbent official is the new norm.
Historically, Bohol’s politics has always been this way. In 2001, then governor, now Vice Gov. Relampagos, with other officials including Cong. Edgar Chatto were linked to corruption charges before the Ombudsman for the alleged sweet deals involving the sale of assets of the PGBh to Salcon which later became, Bohol Water Utilities Inc., and Bohol Light Company Inc.
This issue is being resurrected every election period even if there has already been a decision made by the court exonerating the accused parties.
The same issue has caused Relampagos’ defeat against the late former Governor Erico Aumentado in 2001.
THE COMPLAINANT
Lim is the former City Mayor of Tagbilaran, a person who is a known critic of Chatto and Relampagos.
Lim lost to Chatto and Relampagos when Lim ran for Congress representing the 1st District in 2013 against Relampagos and in 2019 against Chatto.
As some political observers would say, Lim will always be an ally to those who wish to run against Pundok Padayon Bol-anon where his lifetime political nemesis is aligned.
Definitely, when Yap became the leader of the Pundok Padayon Bol-anon after the governor won the gubernatorial race in 2019 against Lim’s ally, former Cabinet Secretary Leoncio “Jun“ Evasco Jr., Yap was added to the list of Lim’s targets.
In his stint as Local Chief Executive of Tagbilaran City, he was also slapped with multiple cases before the Office of the Ombudsman for violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
One of these cases is the one involving Gerry Pabe, a broadcaster turned politician and Gerry Cajes, a radio technician.
The Office of the Ombudsman (Visayas) found “probable cause for one count of violation of section 3(e) of RA 3019 as amended, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act” against Lim after the electrical connections Pabe and Cajes were allegedly cut off by the Bohol Light Company Inc. (BLCI) upon orders of Lim.
Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol signed the approval to file the case on July 14, 2012 subsequently approved by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales on October 10, 2012. It was filed before the Sandiganbayan on Oct. 30, 2012.
Aside from this case, there were also charges filed before the Ombudsman against Lim on alleged unliquidated cash advances, among others.
THE STAUNCH CRITIC
Ramasola is a known supporter of the 2019 gubernatorial bet Evasco. He has been on the offensive since Yap expressed his intention to run for governor of the Province of Bohol in 2018.
The staunch critic of Yap, Ramasola who is a Boholano by birth, now resides in Metro Manila.
Interestingly, the critic is also facing multiple cyber libel charges. One of these was filed by Holy Name University after he castigated the institution for allegedly releasing tampered results of Poll or survey, calling it a bogus survey.
The latest cyber libel charges against Ramasola were filed by Yap last week.
On March 18, 2021, Yap personally appeared before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor to file seven (7) counts of cyber libel against Ramasola. This stemmed after Ranasola posted alleged malicious articles about the governor, and attaching unauthenticated documents alleging corruption in the Capitol.
In a statement Yap said, “Isip amahan sa lalawigan sakit sa akong balatian nga mosang-at ug kaso batok sa usa ka tawo nga sukad pa kaniadto walay laing buhat kung dili magsigeg batikos ug pakaulaw kanako pinaagi sa adlaw-adlaw nga postings sa facebook nga tumo-tumo ug mga bakak.”
Yap added, “Sobra na ang ‘pagpanamastamas’ sa akong ngalan, sa usa ka tawo nga nag-pangan na si Willy Ramasola. Dili nako ni siya kaila apan iyang gitunob-tunoban ang akong tawhanong katungod. Giagwanta ko kini sa dugay’ng panahon ug gitas-an ang akong pasensya og padayon kong nagtrabaho sa akong katungdanan. Apan miabot sa punto nga wala nay respeto ang maong tawo ug giamong-among pa ang laing mga kawani sa kagamhanang probinsiyal nga nagtininood sa ilang trabaho. Naluoy ko nila ug sa ilang mga pamilya kay dili man sila mga politiko ug wala sila maanad nga pakaulawan.”
The governor asserts, “gidawat ko ang mga kritisismo ug mga pagsaway, [apan] dili makatarunganon nga ‘butang-butangan’ kita ug mga estorya ug mga bakak, aron lamang pagdaot kanato aron molampos ang iyang tingoha. Walay hunong ang mga pangdaot ug pagsabwag sa mga bakak nga dili makatabang.”
On the context of free speech, Yap dismissed the allegation that his action on filing a case against Ramasola is tantamount to curtailing the latter’s right to free speech.
Yap said, “Ang isig katawo ubos sa balaod, naay katungod sa free speech, apan wa tay katungod nga mangbastos sa uban. Wala kita makigharong ug minaog sa iyang lebel nga magbinastos usab, apan kinahanglan nga panalipdan nato ang atong pangan tungod kay usa ra kini. Hilom ra kitang nagtrabaho ug nag-atubang sa mga problemang dala sa pandemiya para makalingkawas ang katawhang Bol-anon og di ko motogot nga naay maka guba o makadaot sa akong “gipanumpaan” nga katungdanan isip Gobernador sa atong pinalanggang lalawigan.”
The governor showed how it is to be a statesman that despite all the criticisms, he lets the wheels of justice move on their own and not stoop down to the level of any detractor.
The camp of Yap when asked to comment about the matter said, “Ramasola must remember that even the President of the Philippines gets hurt when there are allegations hurled against him or his administration. Yet, the President may not have filed any suit against his critics, but he lashed at his critics in public whenever there is an opportunity. But President Duterte is not Governor Yap. The governor is not known for cursing his enemies, ‘We are a country under a rule of law, not the rule of men,’ Yap always says.”
For his part, Ramasola remains defiant amid the charges being hurled against him by the governor.
“I will fight this most corrupt Governor in the Philippines.[I] will not stop until he is removed from office,” Ramasola said in a post on Friday, Mar. 19, 2021.
“I signed up for this war. Freely. And alangan naman ako lang ang pwede sumuntok. Expected na susuntok din yan kahit walang matatamaan. Mukhang nasaktan na siguro. And I will make him pay for this. Will expose him more. My team plans to file more cases against him. I was given legal advise not to sign as complainant in the complaint I filed yesterday [Mar. 17,2021] at the Ombudsman. Lawyer said that I should just work behind the scenes. But with what Art Yap did today, [Mar. 18, 2021] I will ask my team if, in the succeeding cases, I will be allowed to sign as one of the complainants. I hope they will grant my request. Masarap siguro ang feeling na makakasuntok na din ako. I am just a little David fighting a Goliath in the Capitol. But I firmly believe the truth and the good will prevail over evil in the end. So help me, God, in this battle,” staunch Yap critic said in another post on social media.
YAP UNFAZED BY POLITICAL DEMOLITION
Yap in his statement said, “I was informed that a request for an investigation was submitted against me in the Office of the Ombudsman for certain procurements of the Provincial Government of Bohol. I have not received nor read any of these documents. While I have no doubt that the Bids and Awards Committee can defend its actions in any investigation, I treat this request seriously especially since it is baseless and malicious, coming at a time when we are doing the best we can to keep Bohol safe in this Pandemic.”
Yap added, “The intention of filing this case is not to better nor preserve governance, but to malign and besmirch my reputation and those of innocent members of the Bids and Awards Committee, so political points can be scored by those who are seeking to challenge me in the upcoming elections. That is the sad part of politics in our democracy. Those with no accomplishments resort to filing cases and media propaganda to win in the elections.”
NOT SURPRISED
The governor is not surprised by the move of the political opposition to file a complaint against him. He is not surprised that Lim is leading the pack.
ON THE ALLEGATIONS
The governor reserves his formal explanations when he receives the copy of the complaint-affidavit. This newspaper is definitely aware that since there has been a complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, any party must abide by the sub judice rule.
However, without discussing the merits of the case, the governor in his released statement said, “In the case of the suppliers complained of, they went through bidding and submitted the lowest competitive bids. In fact, in one allegation, it was alleged that the Province of Bohol bought an ambulance priced at 20 million pesos. That is a great lie. Seven (7) ambulance units were purchased and not only one.”
The BAC of the PGBh chaired by Nilo Ahat, the Provincial Legal Officer issued a statement on Thursday, March 18, 2021.
Ahat said, “The Bids and Awards Committee of the Province of Bohol unanimously declare our unwavering adherence to the governing principles of RA 9184, that is, Competitiveness, Public monitoring, Transparency, Streamlined process, & Accountability. We stand by our legal duty as the clearing house of all provincial procurement activities and ensure that the Prov’l Gov’t abide by the standards set forth by law.”
Ahat added, “tungod niini walay igong hulga nga makapakgang kanamo sa pagtuman sa among bulohaton. Sukwahi sa balita, walay pagpanglaktod nga gihimo ang Prov’l Gov’t sa pagpamalit og paggasto sa pundo. Gani bisan taliwala sa pandemia diin ang katawhan nanawagan sa paspas og dinaliang pagtunol sa serbisyo og ayuda, amo gihapon nga gisunod ang haum og tukma nga proceso. We followed what the Nat’l Gov’t prescribed as the Procurement Procedure during a State of Public Health Emergency.”
YAP: I AM READY TO FACE ANY INVESTIGATION
In the same radio interview, Yap said he is ready to face any investigation. He claimed he has nothing to hide and nothing to fear for he has not done any wrong and is innocent contrary to what the opposition paints him to be.
Yap added, “I assure our people I am ready to defend the actions taken by my Administration and I will not allow them to affect the momentum of our delivery of public service to the people of Bohol.”