In political for a Bizmen group assailed for excluding some bets

TAGBILARAN CITY, Philippines — The Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) is now under fire for allegedly deliberate exclusion of other candidates to participate in the political forum or debate it sponsored over the past weeks.

BCCI president Mayette Gasatan however retorted that it has been the policy of the organization not to invite those candidates for mayor or for governor and other bets who do not have their slates for the May 13 elections.

In an interview yesterday, she said the chamber members were just doing their job as good citizens. “Our advocacy will last forever. Nobody can dictate us what to do,” she said.

There were three forums or debates staged by the BCCI, the last of which was done yesterday with only two out of four gubernatorial candidates were invited. 

In yesterday’s forum, only reelectionist Gov. Edgar Chatto of the Liberal Party and his opponent, Carmen town Mayor Conchita “Che” Toribio delos Reyes of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) debated on various issues of public concern.

Two other gubernatorial bets, independents Wenceslao Garcia of Bien-Unido town and actor-comedian Roberto “Amay Bisaya” Reyes of Tubigon town, were not invited. Reyes told The Freeman he did not receive any invitation so he did not come to the forum.

During the first forum on the third week of last February, 1st district congressional bet City Mayor Dan Neri-Lim and his opponent reelectionist Rep. Rene Relampagos were both invited.

Lim however accused BCCI of being unfair to other candidates. “Why is it that the Comelec recognized and even dignify these candidates when it accepted their certificates of candidacy,” he lamented. Some observers also commented that the BCCI may have already rendered its judgment over some candidates, the reason why they were not invited.

In the second BCCI political forum staged on the last week of February, only three of four city mayoralty bets were invited: Abraham Lim of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, his nephew John Geesnell Yap of the National United Party (NUP) and Dodong Gonzaga of the LP.

The fourth mayoralty bet who was not invited was retired Philippine Coast Guard captain Gaudencio Bantugan who said, in a radio interview, that even without the invitation he still came to the forum staged at the University of Bohol gym, but then he was sort of ignored by the organizer, much to his embarrassment.

Comelec reportedly said that all candidates should have been invited to the BCCI fora to give them equal chances to ventilate their programs of government, as provided for by the Fair Elections Act. (FREEMAN)