NOTE: THIS STORY WAS FIRST PUBLISHED IN THE BOHOL CHRONICLE’S SUNDAY PRINT EDITION.
The Bohol Chronicle which turned 68 years old last Monday practically witnessed the “rise and fall” of some 11 provincial governors since the maiden issue of the paper hit the streets on May 16, 1954.
Juan C. Pajo was the sitting governor when the Chronicle was established. He was elected and assumed as governor on January 1, 1952, barely two years before the first community newspaper saw its birth in this island province.
Pajo got re-elected in 1955 to serve for two years which gave him the opportunity to serve the Boholanos for five years.
Esteban Bernido was appointed governor on Feb. 4, 1958, and won in an election four years later in January 1962. He got re-elected in 1966 but resigned a year later when was appointed to a national post as PHHC manager.
Lino Chatto was the longest running governor who was in office for 11 years (1967-1978).
He assumed office on June 8, 1967, and got re-elected in 1972 serving a total of 11 years as chief executive of the province.
Rolando Butalid was a politician to reckon with during the powerful days of the late President Ferdinand Marcos under his strong political party the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL). He was governor for eight years, from October 13, 1978, until March 3, 1986.
Bar topnotcher Victor de la Serna was appointed by the late Pres. Cory Aquino as the OIC governor and for just more than a year, from March 16, 1986 to October 26, 1987.
He was replaced by Constancio “Nonoy” Torralba on Oct 27, 1987. He run and won as governor in 1988 which afforded him to serve the Boholanos for five years, until June 30, 1992.
In 1992, David Tirol run and won as governor. Known as the “political wonder boy of Bohol,” Tirol assumed as governor from July 1, 1992, to June 30, 1995.
Rene Relampagos assumed office as governor from July 1, 1995. He ended his term on June 30, 2001. prvenenting him to assume his 3rd term as governor after he was defeated by Rep. Erico Aumentado.
Aumentado assumed office as governor on July 1, 2001. He was re-elected in 2004 for six years completing his nine-year term as governor on June 30, 2010.
Edgar Chatto followed Aumentado. Chatto completed his nine-year term from July 1, 2010 until 2019.
In 2019, Art Yap won as governor against former Cabinet Sec. Jun Evasco by a slim margin of more than 2,000 votes.
Amidst mounting criticism of his administration, Yap failed to win a second term after he was devastated by a resounding victory of Rep. Aris Aumentado who won during the last May 9 election with a lead margin of 185,833 (Aumentado 469,736 votes against Yap’s 283,903 votes, the biggest margin ever in a gubernatorial race)
From Gov. Pajo to Gov. Yap is a history of 70 years of governorship in Bohol.
The Bohol Chronicle turned 68 years old last Monday after all 11 governors have come and gone.