Deputy Speaker Arthur Yap downplays doubts on his being Boholano and challenged the people to level up their standards in choosing topics to discuss when choosing leaders.
Yap clarifies that the people of the third district had elected him to be their representative in Congress and it must not be a mistake because it had been repeated three times and so he has this third term.
Yap issued the statement during the presentation of Pundok Padayon Bol-anon provincial candidates on Wednesday after they filed their certificates of candidacy.
Yap downplayed doubts cast on his Bohol roots after Leoncio Evasco Jr. took a swipe at him, saying he is a true Boholano, unlike Yap.
Yap said he is not affected by such statement because it has no bearing this coming election.
Yap had earlier thought the “Wanted Tinuod nga Bol-anon” campaign of Second District Rep. Aris Aumentado was not pointed against him, and it only became clear to him when the media asked his comments about it during last Wednesday’s forum.
Yap’s mother is a Tausug from Mindanao and he married Carolyne Gow whose mother belongs to the influential Varquez clan in Loboc.
Yap had been frequenting Bohol since courtship years with his wife and since then had learned to love Bohol.
He said that if he was the one referred to as the one not being a true Bol-anon, it doesn’t matter at all.
“We have to remind them that I am a congressman for three terms. Kung ako di ko tinuod nga Bol-anon, buot pasabot ba nga ang atong kaigsoonang Bol-anon sa third district nasayup ba, tungod kay three terms, gibalik-balik ko nila og elect. Mao nga ang question nako- -are we mistaken in the third district?” Yap pointed out.
He added that even his rise to deputy speakership is an honor for Boholanos, because he was elected by colleagues in Congress to be their deputy speaker as someone coming from Bohol.
“Sa tinuoray, gihimo ko nga deputy speaker as congressman from Bohol. Kang kinsa ang garbo? Dili ba kanatong tanan? I am known as congressman gikan sa Bohol. I am proud of it. Mao nga this is a source of wonder for me. But I just leave it there,” Yap said.
He also pointed out that the more important thing is to justify his existence as congressman of his constituents in the third district because it is the people of the third district who helped and supported him to become their congressman.
“Mao nga my responsibility to answer this question will go to the people of the third district. Og sa third district, dili man issue kay kung issue, ngano man sa kanunay, ila kong gipili. So for me this is not an issue,” Yap pointed out.
Yap also said that “the electorate today is also very sophisticated because of the social media, the internet or connectivity.
“Kahibaw na sa mga katawhan nga ang atong pagka-Bol-anon di naman makita kung asa ta natawo. The most important thing is nakatabang ba ta? What are the Bol-anon virtues? What are we known for? Hilom, nagtuo sa Ginoo, dili palaaway. These are the virtues of the Boholanos. Let us be reminded by our traditional Boholano virtues. Let us be reminded by this golden virtues. Mao nga naa tay panultion nga buhat ang pasultion, dili sulti ang pabuhaton,” Yap emphasized.
He just considered it as malicious comments and part of a negative propaganda and that is why he did not mind it.
“I just leave them that way. Mao nga ang katawhan, mabati nato ang gahum sa katawhan. Let us celebrate that. Let us celebrate democracy in action. Let us celebrate the upcoming elections as a chance for us to discuss the more important issues. What is the more important issue? Where I was born? Or kung kinsa na ang nakatabang sa katawhan,” Yap pointed out.
Yap also cited important milestones of Bol-anons coming together in facing challenges.
“Did we think that we would survive that earthquake? Did we think nga masulbad nato ang problema sa Abu Sayyaf? Did we think that we could come and equalize the national poverty demography of 21 percent? Shouldn’t we be talking about opportunities, joblessness, opportunities for employment? Shouldn’t we be discussing about tourism and how we can spread the benefits? Tourism affects all of us. Nakasegurado ba ta nga ang tanan nakatilaw sila sa benefits sa tourismo? Why won’t we better talk about how we can spread this development to all peoples and how we solve our problems,” Yap pointed out.
He also hinted that it would help promote correct thinking go through a clean campaign.
“Magsugod ba ta sa election campaign process, magsugod ta sa electoral process sa pagdaut sa pikas? Ana ba? Is that what we are looking for? Mao nga para kanatong tanan. Kamo sa media, bug-at na ang inyong responsibilidad because you must not only report the news. Your obligation to society is how to present correct thinking here in Bohol. I will not talk about the national media. But I feel affinity with you, because we are all friends,” Yap said.
He added that the media has the great responsibility to the people as instruments of change and development in Bohol.
“Mao nga kamo mohagit kamo namo to do well, kamo pod. Kami pod, ang hagit namo kaninyo, do not just report the news, report also how you bring development,” Yap added.