Gov. Arthur Yap will be attending the Candidates Forum 2022 organized by the Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) while 2nd district Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado decides to skip the said forum and prefers to have sectoral consultations instead.
Yap confirmed his attendance in the forum to The Bohol Tribune in a telephone interview on Apr. 19, 2022.
On the other hand, Aumentado, Yap’s chief contender in the gubernatorial race, said in a radio interview on Apr. 19, 2022 that he finds it difficult to squeeze the event in his schedule, thus he is unable to join the forum.
Instead, Aumentado is willing to meet representatives of different sectors in society at his home in Dauis to discuss issues concerning the latter.
The BCCI is conducting a forum among gubernatorial candidates on Apr. 20, 2022, at the Metro Center Hotel and streamed live via social media, according to reports.
Moreover, Aumentado said that following the release of the results of the Bohol Poll 2022 conducted by the Holy Name University (HNU), he is doubling his efforts to catch up with the survey frontrunner and incumbent governor Yap.
This is the reason that he is busy in his campaign and can afford only to meet with sectoral representatives during breakfast at his home, he stressed.
“Andam ta mupresentar sa atong plataporma, pero pinaagi sa usa ka sectoral consultation. Tungod gusto nako na ang akong plataporma muhaom gayud sa panginahanglan sa katawhan ilabi na sa nagkalain laing sektor, and naay intimate nga discussion ug dili lang ang atong hunahuna maoy masunod kun dili ilang hunahuna atong gihaum sa atong hunahuna aron naay insakto ug konkreto nga solusyon para sa atong mga kaigsoonan,”‘he said in an interview.
The solon from the 2nd district said that he has been presenting his platform in his social media account.
Meanwhile, Kevin Damalerio, Yap’s executive assistant, in a text message on Apr. 19, 2022 confirmed to The Bohol Tribune that the governor is attending the forum organized by the BCCI.
Damalerio relayed his comment regarding Aumentado’s decision to skip the forum in a text message to The Bohol Tribune.
He wrote in the text message: “I am not surprised by Aris’ decision [to skip the forum]. It only shows he is a coward. Klaro man sad kaayo nga naglikay siya kay dili siya ganahan nga mamagnify ang difference sa intellectual capacity between him and Gov. Art. Besides, he has not presented any program nor has articulated a clear platform of government ever since. He and his team, which includes the Bohol Chronicle is only good at political black propaganda. Magsige lang sila ug himo ug mga tumo-tumo nga storya. Magsige ug pagarpar sa radyo. Apan wala diay sulod sa utok. Bisyoso pud kaayo. Dili ba na uwaw? Sa tanan nilang mga sorties kanunay lang sila mangdaut sa gobernador apan wala gyud maghisgot sa mga maayong plano ug programa nga mapaabot sa katawhang Bol-anon. Mao nga wala ko makurat nga nitalaw siya. Mas makurat ko kung mosukol siya ug debate ni Gov. Art. When was the last time nga nisukol si Aris sa forum? Maybe 2016? Pero mura pud siya ug itoy atong panahona nagkabuang siya ug panagang sa iyang mga argumento. Maayo unta ug mo-skip siya sa debate if leading candidate pa siya. Pero dili na maoy sitwasyon, siya pay na-iwit, mao poy talawan! Mao ni angayan nga bantayan sa mga kaigsuonang Bol-anon, kung ang usa ka magpapili, magsige ra gani na ug pangdaut, nagpasabot na nga wala nay klarong plano ug panglantaw para sa kaugmaran sa atong katawhan.”
The BCCI is conducting the Candidates Forum 2022 at a local hotel. It is the organization’s traditional “Your Voice, Our Choice” pre-election event, an advocacy intended to inform and educate the electorate of the candidates’ qualifications, platform, plans of government and stand regarding important issues affecting the Boholanos. The BCCI hosts the said forum every election year.