Panglao councilor Amira Alia “Aya” Montero-Caindec
Panglao councilor Amira Alia “Aya” Montero-Caindec fired back and answered assertions hurled at her and her mother Mayor Leonila Montero by critics.
Montero-Caindec was able to answer assertions of her and her mother’s critics during an interview over Open Forum radio program on Apr. 13, 2022 hosted by Atty. Greg Austral and Dave Albarado.
Montero-Caindec is running for a mayoralty post in Panglao this coming May polls. Her mother, Mayor Leonila Montero, is no longer eligible to run for reelection and opted to run as town councilor.
Montero-Caindec retorted to assertions that she has not been working hard enough as councilor of Panglao.
She said that she prefers to work silently and at the background. Montero-Caindec said that her track record speak for itself. As the chairperson of several committees at the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Panglao, including the committees on appropriations andtourism, she claims to have been in the forefront in bringing growth and development in the town especially in the tourism sector, which is the leading economic driver of Panglao town.
Montero-Caindec also pointed out during the interview that she headed the implementation of the Panglao Intensified Vaccination Campaign (PIVAC) and the 2021 International Dive Fiesta, which are hugely successful endeavors.
This is aside from the fact that Montero-Caindec, in some instances, was appointed as OIC mayor whenever Mayor Leonila Montero was outside Panglao.
“Naningkamot gyud ko isip yanong konsehal. Dili man ko hambugera. I would tell the people na kita man ang naghandle ug kita ang mag-chairman aning mga bug-at nga mga committees,” Montero-Caindec said during the interview.
The alderperson also replied to the assertions made by her critics that Mayor Montero’s administration has not been exerting enough effort to address the economic development of the town.
She quipped: “Paspas ang kalamabuan [sa Panglao]. Highly progressive ang lungsod sa Panglao. In fact, we are qualified to be a first-class municipality. “
She went on to say that the town has been named as one of the most competitive towns in the country.
She added the data revealed that the employment rate of the town is high while the poverty incidence in the town has gone down during the administration of her mother.
On the allegations of corruption in the Montero administration, the councilor said that it is normal for critics to raise the corruption issue during the elections.
The reality is that, she said, there is no case pending in any court of law against Mayor Montero in relation to corruption.
Moreover, Montero-Caindec lamented that critics insinuate that there is alleged corruption in conduct of the free theoretical driving course (TDC) of the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
She said it is unfortunate that critics would sow intrigues to a program that aims to help less fortunate people get driver’s licenses and become better drivers.
The TDC is a project of the LTO Central Visayas headed by Montero-Caindec’s father-in-law Victor Emmanuel Caindec.
The LTO provided TDC scholarships to 2,500 Panglaoanons. The TDC costs P4,500 if a student driver takes it with a private driving school, Montero-Caindec quipped.
The TDC scholarship enables student drivers to earn a TDC certificate without the need to shell out funds which is a huge help especially among the less fortunate aspiring drivers in Panglao, Montero-Caindec explained.
Furthermore, Montero-Caindec also acknowledged the efforts of the frontliners who have been working tirelessly to help the residents of the town during the height of the pandemic. She made the comment in response to allegations that the Montero administration has not been working hard enough in response to the calamities that impacted the town.
She revealed that Panglao is among the first towns in Bohol which distributed relief goods at the height of the pandemic and following the onslaught of typhoon Odette.
Lastly, Montero-Caindec fired back at assertions that she is not a native of Panglao. She said that she was born and raised in Panglao, thus the issue of her not being a native of Panglao is nonsensical.