Lapu mayoral aspirant ‘Ahong’ Chan claims former allies were paid by camp of Radaza to stain his image

Pajo barangay captain and Lapu-Lapu City mayoralty aspirant Junard “Ahong” Chan. CDN Digital photo | Futch Anthony Inso

Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu—Pajo barangay captain and mayoralty aspirant Junard “Ahong” Chan believes his former allies are being used by the camp of incumbent Lapu-Lapu City mayor Paz Radaza to destroy his reputation.

According to Chan, his former allies, ex Department of Interior and Local Government undersecretary Lito Ruiz, and radio block timer Rufo Bering, were paid by the camp of the Radaza to destroy his image, especially with the elections just around the corner. 

“Mga binayran! Mga tawong mga binayran. Lito Ruiz? Binayran. Wala namay laing mahimo. Rufo Bering? Labaw na binayran,” Chan said in an interview at the barangay hall of Barangay Pajo.

(They are all being paid. Lito Ruiz? He’s being paid. He has nothing else to do. Rufo Bering? He is also being paid.)

Chan will be going up against Arturo Radaza, the husband of the current mayor, this May 13 elections.

Ruiz and Bering alleged that Chan was the one behind on the strafing incident in Canjulao barangay hall last 2010. They alleged that he did this to boost his candidacy and to gain sympathy.

During that time, Bering was the barangay captain of Canjulao and was running for councilor under the ticket of Chan, who was running for city mayor. Ruiz was eyeing a congressional seat.

All of them lost in that year’s elections. 

Ruiz and Bering claimed that Chan hired someone to strafe the barangay hall. No one was hurt during that incident.

Both Ruiz and Bering also alleged that what happened to Cesar Siaton could also be part of Chan’s strategy to gain support in this year’s elections. 

Read more: Campaign leader of Lapu mayoral candidate shot after barangay sortie

Siaton, a Chan supporter, was shot in his stomach last Saturday evening, April 27, 2019, by two unknown suspects. He died while being confined at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

Read more: Lapu bet for mayor cries foul over shooting of his political leader 

But Chan denied the allegations, saying he would not sacrifice someone’s life just to boost his candidacy. 

Mayor Paz Radaza, for her part, told reporters in a press conference in Barangay Gun-ob, where she was joined by Ruiz and Bering, that she was suspicious of the timing of Chan’s claims of threats to his life.

“All these, moingon kita nga mura bag plano ba,” Radaza said. “Na-orchestrate na niya pag-ayo gikan sa 2010.”

(All these, we can say that it’s planned. He really orchestrated thus from 2010.)

Radaza said it is only when she is running against Chan that things like these happen.

Read more: Ahong Chan claims of getting ‘death threat’

“Usa si Ahong nidagan 2010, maoy akong kontra. Sa 2013 ug 2016, wala gyud ta’y nadunggan nga ingon ani ba. Kay atong kontra niadto pagdagan ug mayor si Jun Pelaez ug si Lando Patalingjug. So naa ra gyud sa abilidad ni Ahong ang pag-anunsyo ug ingon ani,” Radaza said.

(Ahong was one of the candidates in 2010, he was one of my opponents. In 2013 and 2016, nothing like this happened. Because my rivals at that time for mayor was Jun Pelaez and Lando Patalingjug. So it’s really the style of Ahong to come up with things like these.)

Radaza stated that the alleged ambush plot against Chan was just his imagination. /bmjo