Everybody’s happy, to say the least. Most of
you, er, them know we have our own “share” as money is the talk of the town in
Bohol province days before Monday’s elections.
Last night, Vidal (not his real name), a registered
voter in Booy, was visiting houses to give “gifts.” He was not Santa but he had
presents for all.
He said vote-buying still exists in Bohol and that
aside from cash, candidates are also giving away assorted goods.
Vote buying is observed in the hotly contested
mayoral contests in Tagbilaran City and the towns of Panglao, Trinidad, Loay,
Albur, Loboc, Guindulman and Candijay.
***
While visiting a mall in Tagbilaran City yesterday,
by coincidence, I bumped into Madame Susie Castaño, one of the outrageously
flamboyant barangay officials in the city. I asked her some political updates
for tomorrow’s Election Day.
“If kinsay mudaog, mao na ang gihatag sa Ginoo
(Whoever will win, s/he is given by God),” she said.
Bu she said our vote can make a difference.
 |
Susie Castaño: ‘By voting, you are making your
voice heard
and registering your opinion on how you think the
government should
operate...’ Leo Udtohan/Chronicle
|
“Voting is a fundamental process that keeps our
system of government working,” said Madame Susie.
She added, “Fulfill your action tomorrow. By
voting, you are making your voice heard and registering your opinion on how you
think the government should operate.”
Tomorrow, we are set to decide
who will get the chance to lead the country for the next six years.
Tomorrow, we will decide who will run our province
for the next three years.
Your vote is your dignity.
Meanwhile, here are the Parish Pastoral Council for
Responsible Voting (PPCRV)’s 10 commandments for Responsible Voting (and
reminders that vote buying is an evil act from Jagna Movement for Good
Governance or JaMGGo):
1. Vote according to the dictates of your
conscience.
2. Respect the decision of others in choosing their
candidates.
 |
Qualified leaders are
hard to find. Vote wisely. Contributed Photos: Comelec
|
3. Seek to know the moral integrity, capabilities,
and other personal qualities of the candidates you will vote for.
4. Strive to understand the issues, platform, and
programs of candidates and parties campaigning for your vote.
5. Do not sell your vote.
6. Do not vote for candidates using guns, goons,
gold, and glitter.
7. Do not vote for candidates tainted with graft
and corruption.
8. Do not vote for candidates simply because of
“utang na loob” (debt of gratitude), popularity, good looks, or “pakikisama”
(peer pressure).
9. Do not vote for candidates living an immoral
life.
10. Always put the welfare of the country as top
priority in choosing the candidate you will vote for.
VRS wants to hear from you. Tell me what you thought about the election!
You can e-mail me at leoudtohan@yahoo.com.
***
So long, Mayor Tom
For me, former Danao mayor Louis Thomas “Mayor Tom”
Gonzaga was one of the coolest and unassuming public servants in the province.
I’d interviewed him several times even at his farm
in Barangay Magtangtang in Danao town; he was very welcoming. He was one of
those people with whom you could share just about anything. He was very
unassuming; not intimidating at all.
The last time I met him was during the visit of
Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. last month.
 |
| Mayor Louis Thomas Gonzaga |
There were times that the visits of the United
Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard-bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay to
Bohol were off limits to media. However, I bombarded Mayor Tom with endless
text messages and calls asking the whereabouts of Binay. I knew he gave up due
to my unlimited “kakulitan” that I was able to do some exclusive stories for
GMA News and Inquirer.
That was Mayor Tom. He never lost his temper, at
least not in public.
Shock waves rippled through the political arena
last Friday as news surfaced that Mayor Tom passed away last Thursday night,
two days after he was found unconscious inside his house on Peñaflor street in
Tagbilaran City on Tuesday, He was 46.
The family has yet to release a statement on the
cause of his death but I learned from his close friends that the stress of the
campaign and the heat may have taken a toll on his death.
According to Boy Pernia, a family friend of the
Gonzagas, the former mayor may have given into stress and the extreme heat.
Although he was running unopposed for mayor under
the UNA, Gonzaga, who is the party’s regional deputy coordinator in Bohol, was
actively campaigning for Binay.
In 2010, Gonzaga helped Binay score a resounding
victory in Danao with 4,618 votes against his then vice presidential rival, Mar
Roxas, who got 1,742.
Pernia said Gonzaga attended meetings on Monday.
Pernia said Gonzaga attended meetings on Monday.
When he reached home late that night, he told his
housemaid to wake him up at around 8 a.m. because he had to attend a
political rally in Danao town, at least 92 kilometers from Tagbilaran.
But on Tuesday morning, the housemaid
found him unconscious, prompting them to bring him to Ramiro Community Hospital (RCH) in Tagbilaran City.
Gonzaga was supposed attend UNA’s grand
rally on Tuesday, said Danao Councilor Lirio Vitor, Gonzaga’s running
mate.
He was admitted to the RCH’s intensive care unit
where doctors were able to stabilize his condition. He, however, died
at 11:51 p.m. on Thursday, four days before the May 9 elections.
“We lost a great leader who had a big vision for
Danao,” said Vitor in a phone interview.
Bohol Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado, Gonzaga’s friend and ally, was also saddened by his death.
“I deeply mourn the passing of a friend and brother. Mayor Tom was the epitome of transparent and selfless service not receiving even a cent from his salary and instead gave this amount to the needy. The second district leadership assures the people of Danao of my unwavering support to make your lives a little better,” said Aumentado.
Several supporters and friends of the former mayor have expressed their sympathies on social media.
Edik Dolotina posted on Facebook, “Rest in peace
Mayor Tom Gonzaga of Danao, Bohol. You were one of the people who brought
ecotourism in Bohol into the limelight with your E.A.T. Danao...”
“U are not gone, ur just ahead of us...
(Roomate, boss tom,mayor tom, tompax, masto, idol) sa sunod natong
panagtagbo... Salamat sa tanan... Ur d man..,” said Dominic “Dobap” Aparicio on
Instagram.
Gonzaga, UNA’s vice chairman in Central Visayas,
was Danao mayor from June 2004 to June 2013. He also served as vice mayor to
his mother, Natividad Gonzaga, in 2013. He was also an active member
of APO-Zeta Omega 1987A .
Gonzaga, one of the most accomplished and experienced public servants, created the Danao Extreme Adventure Park which put the town on the tourism map.
Danao, a fourth class municipality with 17 barangays (villages), was the headquarters of Francisco Dagohoy’s rebellion.
* * *
Thanks for your letters, all will be answered.
Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohan at Twitter
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