By DAVE SUAN ALBARADO
A former ally of Bohol Governor Aris Aumentado has launched a scathing attack on his alleged “poor” leadership, accusing him of failing to address the problems of illegal drugs, corruption, and illegal gambling in the province.
Ronie Orillosa, an ABAKA member and a defeated city kagawad candidate in the 2022 elections, held a press conference with Bohol media on February 12, 2024, where he expressed his disappointment and frustration with the governor and his administration.
Orillosa claimed that the governor has no clear direction and vision for the province, and that he is surrounded by seven people who act like governors and influence his decisions.
He said the people of Bohol deserve better than a leader who is pre-occupied with sayaw-sayaw (dancing), cha-cha, lamano-lamano (handshaking).
Orillosa also alleged that the governor has not responded adequately to the rampant spread of illegal drugs in the province, which threatens the security and welfare of the children.
He said that the governor, along with the congressmen and mayors, should take more action to curb the drug menace.
Orillosa further accused the governor of being involved in corruption and allowing illegal gambling to flourish in the province.
He said that the governor has not answered the issues that are important to the people of Bohol, such as the development of infrastructure, health, education, and tourism.
Orillosa said that his criticism is a “wake-up call” to the governor, whom he considers a close friend.
He said that he has told the governor his concerns many times in private, but decided to go public after seeing no improvement.
He said that he supported the governor in the 2022 elections, but now regrets his decision.
Orillosa was joined by Abaka Chairman Norris Oculam, who was a former member of the economic team of the late Governor Erico Aumentado, the father of the current governor.
Oculam echoed Orillosa’s sentiments and urged the governor to listen to the voice of the people.
2025 SEARCH FOR NEW GOVERNOR
Ronie Orillosa, a former student leader and candidate for councilor in Tagbilaran City, said that he and his group will look for another leader to support in 2025 if the governor does not listen to their concerns.
Orillosa was one of the youth leaders who backed the campaigns of former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016 and Vice President Sara Duterte and Aumentado in 2022 through the Kilusang Pagbabago (KP) movement. He ran for city councilor under the banner of former Mayor Dan Lim in 2022, but lost.
In a press conference with the Bohol media on Monday, Orillosa criticized what he described as widespread corruption in Bohol Capitol by the governor’s “cohorts”.
He did not name who he meant by the “7-member league of governors” who he claimed were influencing the governor’s decisions.
He also slammed the spread of illegal drugs and the high price of commodities in the province, calling Bohol the “dollar-rate province”.
“What did Aster Caberte do when she came from DTI?” he asked, referring to the former regional director of the Department of Trade and Industry who is now the provincial administrator.
Orillosa said he knew of some corruption cases, but did not disclose them yet.
He said Aumentado’s leadership had no direction and urged him to show that he was the real governor and not a puppet of his henchmen.
He said if the governor could not eliminate his henchmen (7 Governors), then it was time to find another leader to support in the next election.
He suggested some possible alternatives, such as former Vice Governor Rene Relampagos, Congresswoman Alexie Tutor, and former Mayor John Geesnell “Baba” Yap.
He said his criticism was his own effort and not influenced by any other group.
Orilosa said he sympathized with the Bol-anons and was sad about the state of affairs in the province.
Aumentado: I am the only governor of Bohol
Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado clarified that he is the only governor of the province of Bohol and that his administration has a clear direction and vision for the development of the island.
This was part of the statement he released during a press conference held at his home on Tuesday morning, where he invited members of the media to hear his explanation.
The press conference was in response to the allegations made by Ronnie Orillosa, a former ally of Aumentado, who held his own press conference on February 12.
Orillosa claimed that there were as many as seven people who acted as the governor of Bohol, and that Aumentado’s administration had no direction or plan for the province.
Aumentado denied these accusations and explained that he had an executive management team that would implement his Strategic Change Agenda, which would guide his administration’s policies and programs.
He said that the final decision on any matter still came from him, and that he was accountable to the people of Bohol.
Aumentado challenged Orillosa to visit the Capitol and see for himself the direction and achievements of his administration.
He also answered point by point all the questions and issues raised by Orillosa, including the allegations of corruption, illegal gambling, drugs, and leftist groups.
The governor issued a challenge to Orillosa to name the person he accused of being involved in corruption, and said that he would not hesitate to investigate and prosecute him if he was found guilty.
He reminded the public that the Office of Governance Accountability Responsibility (OGAR) was not only for the previous administration, but also for the current one, and that it was monitoring the practices and performance of his administration, especially on the issues of illegal gambling, drugs, corruption, and leftist groups.
The governor reported that the issue of expired and overpriced drugs that was raised by Orillosa was currently being investigated by the Commission on Audit (COA) and the OGAR office.
He said that this was part of his clean governance direction, and that he had earned the trust of the people, especially the more than 60 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who surrendered to the government because of his peace and development initiatives.
Gov. Aumentado also cited the awards received by Bohol as the second safest province in the entire country, as a proof of the people’s confidence in his leadership.
As part of his political will, he highlighted the developments in sustainable tourism, climate-smart agriculture, and environmental sustainability that he had pursued in his administration.
He mentioned his move to end the abuse of the Virgin Island, a popular tourist destination, by regulating its carrying capacity and imposing environmental fees.
The governor also said that he had closed some quarry operations that were damaging the environment, and that he had set up bagsakan centers for vegetables and highland products in Panglao and other towns, to provide a market and a fair price for the farmers.
He said that he had supported the promotion of various good farming methods, such as aquaponics, and that he had pushed for the request to the local government units to reduce the municipal waters to 10 kilometers, but also to endorse ways to strengthen the protection and conservation of the marine resources.
He also shared his government’s agendas in the areas of ICT, human capital/workforce, entrepreneurship, infrastructure and utilities, and health and social services.
Aumentado demonstrated his current investment in the large healthcare BPO company Sagility, which offered 3,000 jobs to the locals.
He also announced the current start of fencing off the place where SM would build their mall, the start of construction of Puregold, and the scheduled installation of the Air Asia Hub at the Bohol Panglao International Airport.
According to the governor, the increasing number of international flights in Bohol was one of the factors that boosted the tourist arrivals, which had reached more than one million by the year 2023.
On the issue of the price of fish, he explained that it was not always high and that it varied depending on the weather and the global economy, noting that his deputies did not stop studying what else could be done to address this perennial problem.
He said that he had recently issued a Memorandum Circular No. 1 series 2024 to activate the Local Price Coordinating Council in the province, which would give power to each local government to monitor and regulate the prices of basic commodities, including fish, as part of his efforts to ensure the welfare and well-being of the Boholanos.
He ended his press conference by thanking the media for their support and cooperation, and by asking the people of Bohol to continue to trust and support his administration.