Digong’s big win in Bohol

I just got back from a short trip to Tagbilaran City, and anywhere I go, the huge victory of presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte in Bohol remains the sumsuman of conversation.

Bol-anons went all out for Digong in the May 9 elections, giving him 310,114 votes or 83 percent of the province’s voting population of 798,768.
Liberal Party bet Mar Roxas came in 2nd with 200,544 votes. He lost heavily in the over-all tally although he prevailed in the towns of Valencia, Balilihan and Sikatuna. Meanwhile, Senator Grace Poe garnered 68,097. Binay got 42,245 votes.

In the vice-presidential race, Rep. Leni Robredo won with 272,649 votes, followed by Sen. Allan Peter Cayetano who got 169,085. Sen. Bongbong Marcos came in 3rd with 79,514.

There’s another dimension to Digong’s big win in Bohol if we place it in the context of the pastoral letter issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. The PH bishops rejected Duterte, but this deeply religious province embraced him. Vote buying is also reportedly rampant and expensive every election in Bohol, but apparently money didn’t carry the day in this year’s elections.

Friends and relatives are telling me they haven’t gotten over Duterte’s huge rally on April 3 in a sortie that saw him campaigning in Ubay, Tagbilaran and Panglao all in one day. He was practically mobbed wherever he went, but it was in the capital city of Tagbilaran where he flexed his political muscle.

People from different towns took a trip to Tagbilaran just to see and hear Duterte speak. The main avenue of the city was so filled with people that there was hardly any room for vehicles to pass.

I had to see for myself the video on YouTube, but more than the mammoth crowd, it was Duterte’s speech that I think clinched the Bol-anons’ vote for the PDP-Laban candidate. He told them that illegal drugs proliferate because the government is corrupt. Poverty is so widespread because the administration favored only Liberal Party members in the apportionment of huge government funds.

He criticized politicians who conveniently change parties for the sake of getting favors from the administration. He called them “unggoy” (monkeys), who trip over each other in their rush to be counted as part of the party in power after every election.

If he was referring to local political leaders, I guess the Bol-anons cannot be blamed if they took Digong’s volley as directed against incumbent governor Edgar Chatto. Formerly a stalwart of Lakas NUCD, he crossed over to the LP when P-Noy won in 2010. By the way, Chatto won his reelection bid against PDP-Laban candidate Rosemarie Lim Imboy. However, her vice-gubernatorial bet, provincial board member Dionisio Balite, caused a huge upset when he edged out incumbent vice governor Concepcion Lim.

Another anecdote that amused supporters was Duterte’s revelation that he studied law under the tutelage of Victor de la Serna, former bar topnotcher who was once the mayor of Tagbilaran. Duterte said he had a rough time in de la Serna’s class because he cannot cope up, but he managed to pass with a meagre 75%.

My visit to Bohol last week was intended to join family prayers in remembrance of my late husband, Arnulfo del Bando Apalisok, whose death anniversary falls on the busiest if not the merriest month of May. This year, our gathering was more chirpy than usual because two family members came out victorious in the May 9 elections.

Atty. Arturo Jed Piollo II, only son of my sister-in-law, Atty. Aster Apalisok Piollo, earned a fresh mandate as vice mayor of the town of Lila after finishing three successive terms as councilor. Jed, who ran under the administration Liberal Party, trounced former mayor Alfonso Lim of the opposition party Nationalist People’s Coalition.

Jed waged an epic battle because the LP candidate for mayor, Rina Salazar, campaigned against Jed. The two are at odds because as member of the municipal council, Jed blocked the mayor’s plan to purchase a backhoe. He was adamant because the equipment cost only P4 million but the town wanted to acquire it for P11 million.

Jed is my nephew in law, but I think he has more than shown his passion for public service by rendering free legal service for the local population of about 10,000 for the past 9 years. Congratulations to the proud parents, Arturo and Atty. Aster Piollo.

May I also extend my well wishes to Councilor-elect Tiburcio “Bong” Bullecer of Loay town. The proud spouse is my niece-in-law, the lovely and energetic Dr. Joy Piollo Bullecer. May God sustain your noble undertakings.