| Erico Boyles Aumentado | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Bohol's 2nd District | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office June 30, 2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Roberto Cajes |
| Governor, Province of Bohol | |
| In office 2001–2010 |
|
| Preceded by | Rene L. Relampagos |
| Succeeded by | Edgardo Chatto |
| Member, Philippine House of Representatives | |
| In office 1992–2001 |
|
| Preceded by | David B. Tirol |
| Succeeded by | Roberto Cajes |
| Vice Governor, Province of Bohol | |
| In office 1988–1992 |
|
| Board Member, Province of Bohol | |
| In office 1967–1986 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 18, 1940 Ubay, Bohol, Philippines |
| Political party | Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats |
| Spouse(s) | Peregrina Adlaon Cabagnot - Aumentado |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Erico Boyles Aumentado (born May 18, 1940) is a Filipino journalist, a lawyer, and the present solon for 2nd District of Bohol. He is also a former senior provincial board member, provincial vice-governor, congressman, deputy speaker of the Philippine House of Representatives and governor of the province of Bohol.
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He finished his elementary education at Ubay Central Elementary School and finished his high School at Holy Child Academy, Ubay, Bohol as valedictorian. He graduated Bachelor of Arts in Political Science in 1960 as magna cum laude and Bachelor of Laws at the University of Bohol in 1963 as cum laude. While studying as an outstanding student and scholar, he fought for the rights of students in the Visayas. He was also a former campus press editor, champion orator and debater.
When he became a lawyer, he was chosen "Outstanding Lawyer of 1974" by the Citizens Legal Aid Society of the Philippines (CLASP), headed by then Senator Salvador Laurel, for bringing justice within the reach of the poor.
He was elected Provincial Board Member in 1967-1980 and 1984-1986. As a Senior Provincial Board Member, he went out of his way to negotiate for the surrender of the Rizalian rebels in their mountain citadel of Lundag, Pilar, Bohol in 1975. This courageous move earned him the military citation for valor beyond the call of duty.
After then, he was elected Vice Governor of Bohol in 1988-1992. As Vice Governor, he also successfully negotiated with the New People's Army (NPA) headed by Kumander Vargas in 1990 to withdraw its demands for the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to pay the insurgents P7.1 million as access fee for Japan's multi-billion peso projects in Bohol. This paved the way for the implementation of the Capayas Irrigation Project, Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project (BCRIP), Bohol Irrigation Project (BHIP) and the Leyte-Bohol Interconnection Project (LBIP).
He became representative of the 2nd district of Bohol for three consecutive terms in 1992-2001.His peers at the House of Representatives best remember him for two unprecedented events. First, as Vice Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, he stood for 12 hours to defend the General Appropriations Act of 1999, sometime in October 1998, in what was to be the longest budget defense in the history of Congress. Second, as Chairman of the Committee on Ethics he stood alone to successfully foil a House Resolution asking the Supreme Court to allow a congressman convicted of statutory rape, to attend the sessions and public committee hearings of the House of Representatives pending the resolution of his case. Aumentado's fearless discourse triggered the withdrawal by about 40 congressmen (out of the 119 signatories) of their signatures, which led to the defeat of the measure on the floor during the marathon debate on the issue in 1999. Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Belinda Olivarez-Cunanan, in a rare public commendation for a solon, raved about Erico's valiant efforts.
While at the House of Representatives, he gained membership to various committees such as the Commission on Appointments, Committees on Public Works and Highways, Agriculture, Education, Foreign Affairs, Energy, Transportation and Communications, and was chairman of the Committee on Appropriations, Sub committee on Justice and Constitutional Bodies, Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Moreover, he was elected unopposed by his peers as Deputy Speaker for the Visayas on January 24, 2000 and then as chairman of the 52-man Visayas Bloc. He holds the distinction of being the first Boholano to ever hold these positions. The Visayas Bloc sponsored the multi-billion peso Trans-Visayas Intermodal Transport Network System (Trans-Viz Link) approved by Congress and designated to establish Ro-Ro ports, fast craft services and access highways in the Visayas provinces, cities and municipalities.
As an esteemed member of Congress, he was invited to be one of the keynote speakers during the International Symposium on Human Rights on May 15 to 18, 1993 in Budapest, Hungary, and the Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference on March 24 to 30, 1999 in Brussels, Belgium. He was also one of the keynote speakers in the 102nd IPU Conference in Berlin, Germany from October 10 to 16, 1999 and the only ever member of the House of Representatives invited to speak on "Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice and International Drug Control" before the United Nations General Assembly in New York, U.S.A. on December 17 to 24, 1999.
He led the Philippine delegation of senators and congressmen to the 2001 ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Organization (AIPO) in Singapore where he delivered the Philippine position on various concerns in Asia including the Spratly Islands flash points.
He was chosen by the Philippine News Agency as One of the Top 10 Performers in the 10th Congress for filing 133 bills of local and national application. These include the Limited Portability Scheme (RA 7699), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation Act of 1995 (RA 7875), Agricultural Tarrification Act (RA 8178), Social Security Act of 1997 (RA 8282), Official Development Assistance Act of 1998 (RA 8555), GSIS Act of 1997 (RA 8291), Agricultural and Fisheries Modernization Act of 1998 (RA 8435), Home Guaranty Corporation Act of 2000 (RA 8763) and the Fair Election Act (RA 9006), among others. Aumentado was also cited by then President Fidel V. Ramos as the "Philippines 2000 Advocate for Bohol’s Development" for securing the approval of flagship projects such as the first phase of BCRIP, LBIP and BHIP, as well as other vital projects for the province amounting to P6.9 billion. He also played a major role in the approval of the P2.38 billion BHIP II, and the P1.4 billion BCRIP II, for funding under the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) 23rd Yen Loan Package. He pushed for the approval of these projects when he represented Congress to the Tokyo Pledging Session on the loan package in April 1999. He then worked for their favorable action by the National Economic Development Authority, the National Irrigation Administration-Department of Agriculture and the Department of Public Works and Highways as project proponents.
Aumentado likewise worked with another Boholano, National Power Corporation (NPC) executive vice president Asisclo Gonzaga, for the implementation of the P2.4-billion LBIP I and the P2.1-billion LBIP II for a power generation of 100 megawatts to spur the economic development of Bohol. The megaprojects which are under implementation amount to P5.88 billion, or a total of about P12 billion worth of projects he brought to Bohol during his nine-year stint in Congress.
On May 14, 2001, he won landslide victory where he garnered a 39,550-vote lead over then incumbent governor Rene Relampagos to elevate him to the highest public office in Bohol as provincial governor. He officially assumed office at the Capitol on July 1, 2001.
Today, he is serving as the governor of Bohol for three consecutive terms since 2001. He is also the chairman of both the Regional Development Council and the Regional Tourism Council of Central Visayas, and National President of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), the umbrella organization of the 1.5M local officials of the Philippines, the 1st Boholano ever elected to the position. He was also became chairman of the Central Visayas Regional Development Council after getting overwhelming support from its members. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo later confirmed his appointment to the post. He is also the only governor that served and elected for three consecutive terms as provincial governor of Bohol.
He is now working for the civil works implementation of the JBIC-funded mega projects. He also supervises the completion of the provincial flagship projects in agriculture, eco-tourism and livelihood.
Erico was orphaned at eight years old by his father's death, Erico learned early on the value of hard work and self-reliance. Aumentado is married to Peregrina Adlaon Cabagnot of Sevilla, Bohol with whom he has eight children and nineteen grandchildren and one great grandchild.