There is an ongoing orchestration to split the unity of Gov. Aris Aumentado and Rep. Alexi Besas-Tutor in time for the 2025 local elections which is barely a year before the filing of certificates of candidacies.
This political development surfaced after the defeat of Gian Besas, the younger brother of Rep. Tutor who ran for barangay captain of Cogon, the biggest and the most vote-rich barangay in Tagbilaran City.
Besas, a neophyte in politics, ran against incumbent Cogon Barangay Captain Geneson Balbin during last Monday’s barangay polls.
Besas lost by 920 votes to Balbin, with the latter supported by City Councilor Atoy Torralba who is rumored to run for city mayor in the 2025 elections.
The prime movers tasked to drumbeat an Aumentado-Tutor rift alleged that Balbin received the support of Gov. Aumentado who is allied with Torralba.
The victory of Balbin over Tutor in the Cogon barangay captain’s election was tapped by the prime movers as a reason “good enough” for the congresswoman to get the ire against Aumentado.
There were even reports that some personalities were allegedly deployed by the governor to ensure the victory of Balbin.
When asked to comment on this, Gov Aumentado categorically said “I am not stupid” to risk our political alliances with Rep. Tutor over this minor barangay election issue.
“I never lifted a finger to support Balbin,” the governor said in a phone interview with the Chronicle last night.
The governor was quoted as saying that Rep. Tutor herself was annoyed by these allegations which are all fabrications.
Rep. Tutor who is out of the province assured the governor of their continued unity on the political front.
“Intriga ra na tanan guv,” Rep. Tutor was quoted as saying.
“We will talk about these intrigues when I come home,” Rep Tutor told the governor when called to comment on the matter.
POLITICAL INTRIGUE
Earlier during the campaign period for the barangay election, Gov, Aumentado was placed on a hot seat after he was alleged to be giving some fund assistance to Cogon barangay Capt. Balbin with funds coming from Senator Imee Marcos.
The senator has entrusted her programs for Bohol through the governor, thus, the report that the fund support to Balbin came from the governor.
When verified by the governor himself, the office of Sen. Marcos in Manila categorically said the funds released to Kagawad Atoy Torralba came directly from their offices in Manila, and not from Aumentado.
The senator’s office likewise revealed that the cash benefits released from the senator’s funds were an offshoot of the frequent follow-up made by the late broadcaster Choy Torralba to give certain funds through his nephew “Atoy Torralba” who was heavily campaigning for Balbin’s candidacy for barangay captain of Cogon.
POLITICAL STRATEGY
The move to create a rift between Aumentado and Tutor is targeted to cripple the former in the next local election considering that the 3rd district is a strong bailiwick of Tutor.
Breaking the unity of Gov. Aumentado and Rep. Tutor will pave the way for their desired running of former Tagbilaran Mayor Baba Yap for governor.
Ire may be recalled that there were tarpaulins posted on highways, especially in the second and third districts, endorsing Yap to run for governor in 2025.
“Asenso Pa More Bohol” is their tagline to support the “Bolanon Alagaran, Bolanon Ampingan (BABA) 2025, as written in the huge tarpaulin.
Upon learning of the posted tarpaulins, Yap ordered his crew to dismantle the posters, if only to prove that he was not behind the postings. A white multi cab owned by a certain Lungay of Catigbian town was identified as the vehicle used in the disinformation on Baba Yap’s interest in running for governor.
Yap categorically disowned the tarpulins while he said “dugay pa ang election,” when called to comment on reports that he is eyeing to run for governor in 2025.
WHO IS BEHIND THIS POLITICAL STRATEGY
A provincewide survey conducted by Manila firm, Spheres Research Services showed former City Mayor Yap bankable to run for Congress in the first district against 2nd termer Rep, Edgar Chatto.
Yap pooled 61% against Chatto’s 39%, in the survey conducted in May this year.
The trend in the congressional survey came identical to the radio survey conducted by DYRD’s Inyong Alagad program last Oct. 25 where Yap generated 74% voters’ preference for congressman in the first district as against Chatto who got 26% based on voice calls and text messages.
If the trend continues until the campaign period in 2025, political observers said the Chatto drum beaters would plot strategies to make Yap run for governor, and not for congressman in the first district to spare the incumbent congressman of an apparent defeat.