by Dave Albarado
Political allies of Second District Cong. Erico Aristotle Aumentado, which include an incumbent board member and 9 incumbent Bohol mayors, have withdrawn their support to the solon on his gubernatorial bid, according to the press release of Gov. Arthur Yap’s political officer Kevin Damalerio.
As this developed and upon reaching out to Aumentado for comments regarding the matter, Aumentado revealed that he has secret supporters inside the camp of his chief opponent in the gubernatorial race – Gov. Arthur Yap.
“Naay mga naa nila nga secretly nag support nako. Dili lang ko mutug-an kon kinsa,” Aumentado told this writer via the telephone.
He added that he has already accepted the fact that some of his allies left him a long time ago.
Accordingly, he revealed that one incumbent mayor has left Yap and now is in his fold.
The solon mentioned the name of incumbent Dimiao mayor Randolph Ang as one of erstwhile Yap supporters who is now on his side.
“Dugay na wala na sila nako. No problem man na,” he said in reaction to the news that his former allies are now in Yap’s side.
Moreover, Aumentado emphasized that he made sure to field worthy candidates to go up against the incumbent mayors who are supporting Yap.
“Lig-on man pud ang mga kandidato nato kontra sa ila,” Aumentado bared.
Damalerio, who is also an executive assistant to Yap, aside from being a political officer, said that the support of Aumentado’s former allies has solidified the re-election bid of Yap in the May 2022 polls.
Damalerio said in his press release: “Ang mga kanhi kaalyado ni Aris Aumentado nga karon nagsuporta ni Gov. Art Yap, nakahatag ug dugang kusog sa Pundok Padayon Bol-anon sa atong nagkadaiyang distrito.”
Damalerio added, “Daghan niining mga kanhi kaalyado ni Aumentado nagagikan sa mga crucial nga mga lungsod ug nailhan gyud nga mga lig-on nga political leaders sa ilang komunidad nga kayang makapadaug ug mga kandidato nga gipanglabanan. Labaw sa tanan, kasagaran kanila mga incumbent pa gyud nga mga opisyales sa ilang lungsod.”
FIRST DISTRICT
According to Damalerio, in the first district, 3 incumbent mayors who supported Aumentado before are now under the banner of Pundok Padayon Bol-anon which is led by Gov. Yap.
First in the list is Mayor Don Richie Buates of Alburquerque. Mayor Buates ran under Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) in 2019. Aumentado is the leader of NPC in Bohol.
Buates is now running under Pundok Padayon Bol-anon for his second term as town mayor.
Yap lost by a narrow margin in Alburquerque in 2019, Damalerio said.
According to Damalerio, the addition of Mayor Buates to Pundok Padayon Bol-anon is a game-changer especially in the town of Alburquerque.
Aumentado confirmed that, indeed. Buates is no longer in his camp since Buates bolted out in 2020.
In Corella town, Incumbent Mayor D. Hilario Tocmo is supporting the re-election bid of Yap and Vice Governor Rene Relampagos.
Mayor Tocmo used to be under the camp of Aumentado in 2019 and the former has withdrawn his support to Aumentado’s gubernatorial aspirations.
Moreover, Lilioso Nunag who is seeking re-election as local chief executive of Antequera is also supporting the candidacies of Yap and Relampagos.
Damalerio said, “Gov. Yap lost in Antequera last 2019 due to its proximity to Maribojoc which is considered as the bailiwick of [Sec. Leoncio] Evasco, Gov. Yap’s opponent for Governor in 2019.
Damalerio is confident that with the strong support of Nunag, this time, the result can easily be reversed in favor of Gov. Yap.
Aumentado, for his part, acknowledged and confirmed that Tocmo and Nunag have left the solon’s camp.
NEW SECOND DISTRICT ALLIES
In the town of Bien Unido, incumbent Mayor Rene Borenaga has pledged her support to Yap and Relampagos. She is the Padayon Bol-anon’s bet for Mayor in Bien Unido.
The lady Mayor of Bien Unido is a known supporter of Aumentado in the past.
In fact in 2019, Yap lost in Bien Unido by almost 2,300 votes, based on data from the Commission on Elections.
Damalerio said, “Mayor Borenaga’s strong base [of] support is a welcome addition to Pundok Padayon Bol-anon. She is known to be a strong political leader in Bien Unido and she has a good backing from the solid and huge Boniel clan in the said town of Bien Unido. With her support to Gov. Yap, murag hayag pa sa adlaw ang kadaugan ni Art Yap sa Bien Unido.”
2nd district Board Member Vierna Mae “Mimi” Boniel-Maglasang, who hails from Bien Unido town has also withdrawn her support to Aumentado. Boniel-Maglasang is running under Pundok Padayon Bol-anon for her second term as board member.
In addition to the list is the former Mayor of Dagohoy, Dr. Hermie Relampagos. Dr. Relampagos used to be a political ally of the Aumentados as Relampagos was identified with the late Gov. Erico Boyles Aumentado.
Relampagos has launched a political comeback and is running for mayor of Dagohoy under Pundok Padayon Bol-anon.
Damalerio added, “Kani ra bang doctor basta local election lang ang hisgutan, panagsa ra gyud na sila mapildi kay daghan na ug tinambalan. Dako na gyud ang kausaban sa sitwasyon sa lungsod sa Dagohoy karon tungod kay naa man si Dr. Hermie Relampagos nga maoy nagsuporta ni Gov. Art Yap dihang dapita.”
Another Aumentado ally who has withdrawn his support to the solon is incumbent San Miguel mayor Virgilio “Dodong” Mendez. Mendez who is a former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director. He is a relative of Cong. Aris Aumentado. Yet, he is supporting the re-election bid of Yap and Relampagos, Damalerio said.
Damalerio added, “Mayor Mendez has a strong support [coming] from his constituents. Pinangga gyud kaayo na siya sa taga San Miguel. Mao nga respetado ang iyang tingog sa maong lungsod. Mao bitaw nga last 2019 election, napildi si Gov. Yap sa San Miguel ug medyo dako tungod sa paningkamot ni Mayor Mendez nga makadeliver gyud pud sa iyang gilabanan ug gisuportahan nga kandidato. Ang suporta ni Mayor Mendez ngadto kang Gov. Yap karong piniliay sa 2022 makahatag gyud ug dugang kusog, kadasig ug boto para sa grupo. I know Mayor Mendez as a man with unquestionable integrity. Mao nga dako kami ug pagsalig kaniya.”
Mendez is the second nominee of Ako Bisdak Partylist, which is supported by Pundok Padayon Bol-anon as the official partylist for the group.
His son, Ian Mendez, is running for Mayor in San Miguel under Pundok Padayon Bol-anon of Yap and Relampagos.
In the town of Inabanga, incumbent Mayor Josephine Soccoro “Roygie” Jumamoy has cut her ties with Aumentado. The last termer mayor of Inabanga has endorsed openly the re-election aspirations of Yap and Relampagos.
In 2019, Yap lost by by a margin of almost 9,000 votes in Inabanga. The margin is a manifestation of how strong the leadership of Mayor Roygie Jumamoy in her turf is.
Mayor Roygie Jumamoy is now running for vice mayor. Her son, former Inabanga mayor and incumbent councilor Jono Jumamoy is seeking the mayoralty post in the said town under Pundok Padayon Bol-anon.
Jono Jumamoy is a childhood friend of Aris Aumentado. Jono Jumamoy is known to be a solid supporter of Aumentado during the former’s incumbency as mayor of Inabanga.
Mayo Roygie Jumamoy’s only daughter, Jovanna “Jaja” Jumamoy is the Padayon Bol-anon’s bet for representative in the second district against Rep. Aumentado’s wife, Vanessa Cadorna-Aumentado.
Aumentado said it is natural for the Jumamoys to turn their back against him, given the fact that Jaja Jumamoy is running against his wife, Vanessa.
He also accepted the fact that Mendez, Boniel-Maglasang, and Borenaga already left his camp a long time ago.
NEW THIRD DISTRICT ALLIES
Alicia Mayor Victoriano Torres III has also pledged his support to Yap and Relampagos.
Mayor Torres was a member of the Aumentado Camp last 2019 election. He has now withdrawn his support to Aris Aumentado.
The mayor of Alicia is seeking re-election under Pundok Padayon Bol-anon.
Aumentado commented he has no problem with Torres pledging allegiance to Gov. Yap.
In Guindulman, Mayor Ma. Fe Piezas has come out openly in her support for Yap and Relampagos, Damalerio said.
Mayor Piezas, ran as mayor of Guindulman due to the insistent request of the the late Gov. Erico Boyles Aumentado during the latter’s incumbency as local chief executive of Bohol, the political officer mentioned in his press release.
Piezas has withdrawn her support to Aumentado’s bid for the governorship of Bohol, according to Damalerio.
Mayor Piezas is running for vice mayor while the incumbent Vice Mayor Martin “Boy” Lagura is vying for the mayoralty post under Pundok Padayon Bol-anon.
Damalerio said, “Mayor Fe Piezas is the iron lady of Guindulman. She can deliver the votes to her chosen and supported candidates. If in 2019, Gov. Yap won by almost 4, 400 votes in Guindulman, it could be more than that come May 2022.”
However, Aumentado claims that Piezas’ support is with him and only Lagura is with Yap.
“Dia ang suporta ni Piezas nako. Mao nay iyang [Piezas] gisulti nako,” Aumentado told The Bohol Tribune.
A game-changing unification move in Carmen cements the solid support of Carmen to Pundok Padayon Bol-anon.
The group of Yap and the group of Mayor Franciso “Jun”‘Toribio are unified, Damalerio said.
Incumbent Mayor Toribio has pledged his support to Yap and Relampagos.
Not only the incumbent Mayor is supporting the stalwarts of Pundok Padayon Bol-anon. His sister, former Mayor Conchita “Che” Toribio-De los Reyes is now also with Pundok Padayon Bol-anon, the political officer quipped.
Former Mayor Che Toribio- Delos Reyes is running for mayor of Carmen under Pundok Padayon Bol-anon.
Former Mayor Che Delos Reyes, previously ran for governor of Bohol and for representative of the 3rd district opposite the candidates of Pundok Padayon Bol-anon.
Damalerio added, “We know how the people of Carmen love Mayor Che and we also know how she loves Carmen. No doubt, she can rally the people of Carmen to support Gov. Yap and Vice Governor Relampagos.”
Carmen is among the vote-rich towns in the 3rd district as there were 33,270 registered voters in the said municipality in 2019.
For Aumentado, the news about Torribio’s leaving his camp is already old.
COMPETENCE ABOVE POLITICS
Damalerio revealed, “Sa akong pakighinabi niining atong mga kandidato ug sa akong pagpaminaw sa ilang mga pakigpulong sa mga kabarangayan, kanunay nakong madunggan nga ilang gisuportahan si Gov. Art Yap pagka Gobernador sa Bohol tungod kay kahibaw sila nga mas makatabang si Gov. Yap nga matuman ang ilang mga damgo sa ilang lungsod ug mas makahatag ug tinuoray nga dugang kalambuan ang pamunuan ni Gov. Art Yap ngadto sa katawhan nga ilang gialagaran.”
He added, “Dili lang ko mosulti kung kinsa, pero niingon gyud ang Mayor nako nga mas maayo nalang gyud kuno nga nibali siya kaysa mauwaw siya nga moatubang sa katawhan aron mobaligya ni Aris.”
Finally, Damalerio added, “Adunay kanunay ibalik-balik nila nga pulong sa matag higayon nga mag-istorya mi aning atong mga kandidato nga diko kalimot. Mo-ingon gyud na sila nga “Ang anak dili ang Amahan, Amahan dili ang anak.” Kay sa pagkatinuod gyud kuno, kinalayo-an ra gyud kuno ug abilidad ang anak kung itandi sa iyang amahan. Mao pud siguro nga wala nila suportahi si Aris kay wala gyud niya masunod ang kalantip sa iyang amahan.”
