Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle “Aris” Aumentado is facing mounting criticism after allegations surfaced that he entertained a request for a 10% commission from a Department of Education (DepEd) fund for school rehabilitation — a supposed cut allegedly intended for Vice President Sara Duterte’s “fundraising.”
In a February 2024 press conference, Aumentado admitted that Bohol whistleblowerRonieOrillosa had approached him regarding a DepEd allocation for the repair and rehabilitation of schools damaged by Typhoon Odette.
According to Aumentado, Orillosa mentioned that 10% of the budget would go to VP Duterte, though the purpose was vaguely framed as “fundraising.”
Rather than reject the proposal outright, Aumentado continued discussing the logistics of the project with Orillosa.
“I explained to Ronie that if we take 10%, it might affect the implementation,” Aumentado said.
“The budget involves not just school repairs but road improvements through DPWH. Bakahindimagkasyaang budget [The budget might not be enough].”
The governor’s remarks were widely interpreted not as a condemnation of the alleged solicitation, but as a negotiation of its feasibility — sparking speculation of deeper corruption.
“This is disturbing,” said critic Willy Ramasola in a Facebook post. “Instead of rejecting the offer outright, the governor entertained it — even allowing Ronie to travel to Clark, Pampanga to meet with a District Engineer from DPWH.”
“Bribery, extortion, and corruption are crimes. Kawat is kawat [Stealing is stealing],” Ramasola added. “Why did the governor advance the discussion to the next level? Is this a palusot [excuse] to cover something bigger?”
Ramasola also questioned Aumentado’s justification that the fund included infrastructure beyond school repairs, given that the budget was reportedly intended specifically for rehabilitating schools devastated by Typhoon Odette in 2021.
“Why are we suddenly talking about road paving when the mandate is clear — repair classrooms,” Ramasola wrote. “Is this a convenient excuse to justify potential budget slicing?”