IN our last episode, I mentioned my actual involvement in the presidential campaign of PRRD in Bohol in 2016.
As I’ve mentioned, there were only 2 who voiced their loyalty and support for PRRD – former VGov and then BM Dioning Balite and former Maribojoc Mayor Toloy Evasco.
The rest of the “opposition” Mayors, Congressmen, Governor, Vice Governor and Board Members – they rooted for former Makati Mayor Jojo Binay while the “admins” were for Mar Roxas.
Kay sure winner kuno si Binay, while si PRRD kuno, berdugo sa Davao, bastos og baba, dagha’g chicks ug unsa na lang diha.
So anyway, we know that when the results were canvassed, PRRD handily won the 2016 presidential elections.
Nangamote intawon si Binay, hasta si Roxas, plus naputos pa og mga kaso si Binay.
So what happened to the Binay loyalists?
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When PRRD won, the Binay loyalists did a political exodus to PRRD.
Naturally.
And when the PDP-Laban was chosen as PRRD’s political party, every Mayor, Governor, Congressmen in the province wanted to join the political bandwagon.
Ang una nilang gihimo, midip-ig dayon sila ni Toloy Evasco, who was first inducted as part of the presidential transition team and later as Cabinet Secretary under the Office of the President.
Just a clarification – under the Constitution, all members of the Cabinet, among others, are required to undergo the vetting at the Commission on Appointments (CA). Meaning, without the CA vetting and later, concurrence, no chance for a cabinet appointee to sit in the cabinet as such. Accordingly, Toloy Evasco was initially asked to be the DILG Secretary but he demurred because of his past involvement with the NPA. Because any appointment in the cabinet has to undergo with the CA process, accordingly, it was thought then that if he were to get a high position with a cabinet rank, Toloy Evasco’s appointment should be placed under the Office of the President to “railroad” the constitutional requirement of CA vetting. So, he got the position of Cabinet Secretary under the Office of the President.
His main job, according to Toloy Evasco, was to prepare the agenda to be taken up by PRRD during cabinet meetings by compiling all proposals from the different departments. Ingon ana siya ka-gamhanan kanhi – moagi niya ang tanang departments. Kon di niya iapil ang proposal sa mga departments like DPWH, DA, DSWD ug uban pa, dili kini matuki sa presidente. Gawas pa niini, aduna pa siyay pipila ka mga ahensiya nga ubos sa iyang pagdumala isip Cabinet Secretary like the NFA, Housing ug uban pa.
Hisgotan ra unya nato ang kontrobersiya sa NFA kabahin sa pag-angkat ug bugas sa gawas ug maoy hinungdan nga gipalagpot ang usa ka Undersecretary ni Evasco nga si Halmen Valdez for corruption, matod pa ni PRRD.
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Anyway, let’s go back to the exodus sa mga “balimbing” sa Bohol from being Binay loyalists to PRRD admirers/fans.
Because politics is addition, gidawat ug gihinangop ra pod ni Toloy Evasco ang ilang pag-balimbing. So mao to nga gialirongan ug giambahan na pod sa mga balimbing sa Bohol si PRRD. Naglunop dayon ang mga imbitasyon nga nadawat sa Malacanang gikan sa mga balimbing kay silang tanan gusto nga imbitahon si PRRD sa ilang kasaulogan.
Gawas ni Toloy Evasco, naglumba pod ag mga balimbing og pangita og ka-kapyotan aron lang makaduol ni PRRD ug usa na niini si kanhi Special Assistant to the President (SAP) ug karon Senador Bong Go.
Kon dunay okasyon nga naa sila, dili gyod mahimo nga dili magpa-selfie ni PRRD or ni Bong Go, plastar dayon sa pisbok nga abot sa dunggan ang ngislit.
Gawas sa political exodus sa mga balimbing sa Bohol, diha pod laing grupo from Bohol nga nag-exodus pod sa Davao, specifically sa Marco Polo Hotel.
Unsay ilang tuyo – aw may lain pa?
There was one defeated politician in the city who spearhead a group for the Davao trip in the hope of meeting PRRD in person, and to tell him that they were the ones who actively campaigned for him in Bohol, among others. Pasabot sa among others, basin kakuha pod og appointment from PRRD.
Unfortunately, wa sila kakuha og chance with PRRD kay hilabihan ka busy ang schedule ni PRRD atong panahona kay he was organizing his government. Hinuon, naka-meet sila og taga-ABS-CBN ug na-interview pa gyod og proud kaayo nga misulti nga sila ang mga lumilihok ni PRRD sa Bohol.
Diha pod laing grupo nga gipangulohan gihapon sa usa ka defeated politician nga nagdala og abogado padung sa Davao. Wa pa gani ka larga paingon sa Davao, nanghambog na dayon ang abogado nga mahimo siyang Commissioner kay ilado ang iyang gikuyogan.
Kalooy sa Diyos, wa gyod tawon sila ka-meet personally ni PRRD, kutob ras mga alipores ni PRRD nga lima singko adtong panahona.
I don’t know of anybody from Bohol who got an appointment for government position from PRRD, aside from USec Halmen Valdez.
In my case, I was recruited and proud to say, I did not apply when I was appointed as Regional Executive Director of DA-7.
More in our next episodes.
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Happy New Year everyone!!!
