NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
The brewing controversy over the alleged breach of health protocol and travel to Cebu City is a demolition job against Panglao Mayor Nila Montero.
This was the statement by the lady mayor reacting to the continuing discussion of the controversy revolving around her alleged unauthorized trip to Cebu last September 15.
In a radio interview, Mayor Montero said “pamolitika na” since 2022 is approaching.
This is not the right time for politics because “I am not running for higher position” and she has no ambition for governor, either. Montero said she is serving and hopes to finish her last term.
She said that she supported former Cabinet Secretary LeoncioEvasco who won in Panglao. “That’s how I show my leadership,” Montero said.
Evasco, who threw his hat in the gubernatorial race last year, won by few thousand votes against Gov. Arthur C. Yap, who was voted upon as governor with a little margin province-wide.
The mayor was thankful to Col.Clarito who was commissioned by Gov. Art Yap to conduct an investigation on her travel to Cebu.
Montero said she did not influence the police director in coming up with the recommendation since she did not know him at the time he was assigned here during the pandemic period when Bohol was already locked down.
The statement of the lady mayor came even as reports revealed that the 14-day quarantine of Clarito when he arrived in the province was hosted by Mayor Montero in one of the resorts in Panglao, complete with board and lodging.
This was however denied by Clarito during a separate radio interview.
Mayor Montero asked the public to “pray not for me as I know what I am doing but instead pray for my political detractors.”
She dismissed criticism on social media that she’s “richland untouchable,” saying she’s not an abusive mayor.
She said what she has done was to give priority in helping and protecting Panglaoanons from Covid-19 pandemic.
Though she earlier denied any breach of health protocols, the beleaguered mayor stressed “why should I compromise our protocols?”
She said she has undergone swab test and proved negative and took voluntary isolation after her arrival here from Cebu in the middle of last month.
She personally attended to some important matters in Cebu city, such as the acquisition of speed boat apparently in preparation for the first tourism bubble marketing push, The Philippines Tourist Exchange (PhiTex) hosted by this town at the end of September 2020.
The mayor boasts of the cooperation and support of the people in keeping Panglao town still a COVID-free town as of this writing while adopting one-entry-two-exit strategy for all people visiting her town in a bid to help curb the COVID spread.
She admitted however that she did not have travel authority since her request was not acted upon by authorities (she did not name)concerned.