Chatto calls on Boholanos to support Art Yap admin, new leaders

Outgoing Governor Edgar Chatto called on the public including government employees to extend support to Governor-elect Arthur Yap in a bid to sustain the progress attained during his nine-year stint as the province’s highest ranking official.

“Whatever support you have given to this administration today, I urge you, I appeal to you and I pray to every Boholano, let us give the same, if not more, support to the next leaders of the province, of our city and our towns. This is the only way we can say ‘padayon Bohol sa dugang kaugmaran,” Chatto said during the province’s commemoration of the country’s 121^st Independence Day on Wednesday.

According to Chatto who was elected as First District representative, the incoming leaders of the province face more challenges particularly with advancements in technology through the internet which have been used to undermine the province’s progress.

“What pains us is a divided province, a province whose peace and security are threatened, what pains us is to see a province whose gains are being eroded by distortions of the norms of conduct, especially in the inroads of social media,” said Chatto.

The statement was an apparent reference to the online propaganda which bombarded the Chatto administration and the candidacy of Yap during the election period.

Tensions between the “Padayon Bol-anon” group under Yap an Chatto and rival coalition “Tinuod Bol-anon” under losing gubernatorial bet Leoncio Evasco, Jr., however, appeared to have died down after the polls.

Evasco earlier said that he will file a petition for failure of elections amid allegations of “massive” vote-buying but has not been seen acting on the pronouncement.

Yap, in response, had previously called for the public to move on from the elections and focus on “nation-building” instead.

“Together with our team, we will move full speed ahead to meet, plan and execute programs aimed at bringing prosperity and opportunity to Bohol. All well-meaning people, even those from my opponent’s camp, are welcome and encouraged to join us,” Yap said. (R. Tutas)