Rep. Aris Aumentado remained unbothered by the alleged troll-farm generated votes that catapulted Governor Art Yap to victory in the Chronicle’s recent gubernatorial survey, but expressed concern over possible cheating in the actual polls in May.
Aumentado, in an interview over station dyRD on Tuesday, said members of the governor’s camp are deceiving themselves by trying to win an online poll with votes from Indian and Vietnamese nationals who are apparently facilitated by a troll farm.
In the same interview, station dyRD repeatedly called Yap for a comment on the issue but the governor did not answer calls.
In the first six hours of the online poll posted on the Chronicle’s Facebook page at 3:40 p.m. on February 9, Aumentado largely led over Yap. In the following days, Yap suddenly surged to victory with at least 9,600 votes over Aumentado’s 6,000 amid the deluge of thousands of Indian and Vietnamese nationals who favored the governor.
“Og sila nalipay sila anang dapita, mura og gilimbungan nila ilang kaugalingon kay kahibaw man ta unsay tinuod. Unya ila pang gi-news na leading sila mura’g ilang gi-ilad nila ilang kaugalingon na kahibaw man sila na dili tinuod kay auto-liker man na ilang gigamit sa pag vote ni Gov. Yap,” said Aumentado.
Bohol TV, the Capitol’s online communications arm, still published the Chronicle’s survey even after the publication itself announced that the poll had been marred by the troll-farm generated votes.
While Aumentado downplayed the result of the polls, he said he was more concerned about cheating in the actual elections.
“Akong kagul-an na kung iya ng nahimo ng ingana na pamaagi na [layo] pa ta sa election, wala pa gani magsugod og pangampanya pero gahimo na sila og mga butang na questionable, naay mga panlimbong-limbong then diha ko naguol na kay basi’g sa umaabot kaning kwarta gamiton, wa g’yuy rason na dili mahimo ang tanang gusto nila mahitabo kay kaning resulta aning online na survey tungod pud ni kay gigamitan pud ni og salapi,” said Aumentado.
According to Aumentado, he has also received reports from a Capitol insider indicating that Yap has gathered IT (information technology) experts at the Governor’s Mansion.
Aumentado said he was unaware of the team’s objectives but the recent development with the Chronicle’s survey made him believe that it has been tasked to boost Yap’s political efforts online.
“Sa unang report, wa ko hing tuo, so pagboto aning sa online [survey] na daghan ng namotar na oustider na dili taga Bohol nasantok sa akong utok na tinuod tong information na nakuha nato, na reliable g’yud kay mismo tag Kapitolyo man ang nagsulti nako,” Aumentado said.
“In fact, dili na ka makasulod-sulod sa mansion karong panahona kay strikto kaayo daghang security ang nagbantay and sagol na IT na sa province naa dinha gipang sud ug naay IT from Manila, Cebu, naa kuno diha nagtapok sa mansion karon,” he added. (RT)