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TAGBILARAN CITY ? Lamenting that they have become virtual second-class citizens in their own party, heavyweight members of the Lakas-Kampi in Bohol have signed a manifesto assailing the new party leadership at the provincial and national levels.
The strongly worded position paper entitled "No More Hypocrisy And Treachery" was published as a paid advertisement in the Bohol Sunday Post on Feb. 28.
"We, therefore, declare our common and united stand expressing loss of confidence in the present Party provincial leadership led by (Rep.) Edgar M. Chatto and the national party leadership led by Gov. Rene Miguel Dominguez," the paper declared.
This does not bode well to the presidential campaign of former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr., the standard bearer of Lakas-Kampi, which has been struggling with funds lately.
The signatories said that over the last few months, they have witnessed the "slow but unmistakable disintegration" of Lakas as the dominant political party in Bohol.
"We have arrived at a common consensus to come up with this Position Paper to express our collective sentiments on the shabby treatment that we have received from both the national and provincial leaderships of the Party," the signatories declared.
The signatories read like a who's who not only in the Lakas-Bohol hierarchy but also in the provincial political map.
They include Catigbian Mayor Roberto Salinas, incumbent League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Bohol president; Jagna Mayor Exuperio Lloren, LMP Bohol immediate past president; second district board member Josephine Socorro Jumamoy, also LMP Bohol past president; Danao Mayor Louis Thomas Gonzaga, LMP Bohol executive vice president; Mayors Theresa Camacho of Getafe; Telesforo Balagosa of Lila; Jono Jumamoy of Inabanga; Elsa Tirol of Buenavista; Juanario Item of Talibon; and Germinio Relampagos of Dagohoy; and Jagna Councilor Senen Lloren, Philippine Councilors League Bohol vice president who is running for the seat of the third district board member.
The signatories narrowed down their gripes to three major events that led to the decision to come out with the position paper "expressing disillusionment over acts inimical to the people of Bohol."
The first was the "unceremonious rejection" of Salinas as first district congressional bet in favor of ex-Gov. Rene Relampagos, "a non-party member who had been adversarial to the party interest in all previous elections."
The second was the "shameless manipulation" that led to the revocation of the certificate of nomination and acceptance (CONA) issued to Gov. Erico Aumentado as a candidate for the second congressional district. /INQUIRER
