Incumbent Officials in Caraga still loyal to Lakas

Majority of the incumbent local officials in the five provinces and 70 municipalities in Caraga Region who have already filed their respective COCs remained loyal to President Arroyo’s administration party Lakas-Kampi-CMD, except with the Barbers and Casurra groups who affiliated themselves with the Nacionalista Party.

While two of the Amante political clan bigwigs – incumbent Agusan del Norte Gov. John Amante and his sister, former Agusan del Norte governor and Rep. Maria Angelica Amante filed their COCs under Lakas. Their Butuan City mayoralty bet, Dr. Ferdinand Amante’s group filed their COCs under the Liberal Party. Lakas stalwarts – re-electionists first district Surigao del Norte Rep. Guillermo Romarate Jr. and second district Rep. Francisco Matugas who is vice president for Mindanao for Lakas-Kampi-CMD filed their respective COCs.

Matugas’ wife, former Department of Education regional director Sol Matugas filed her COC for Surigao del Norte governor under Lakas.

Majority of the 27 municipal mayors and vice mayors of Surigao del Norte filed their respective COCs under Lakas. The remaining filed their COCs under Nacionalista Party.

Meanwhile, former senior superintendent Cesar Mancao filed Monday his COC in the first district of Compostela Valley under the Ak­syon-Demokratiko of the Liberal Party.

“I think I am the best alternative to win in this elections given my credentials,” Mancao said in an earlier interview.

Accompanied by his family, other relatives and supporters, Mancao filed his COC before the Comelec office in the town of Nabunturan, hoping he would be able to defeat incumbent board member Maricar Apsay and lawyer Ferdinand Lopoz for the said congressional slot in Compostela Valley.

Compostela Valley Gov. Arthur Uy, who is running for re-election, said Lakas-Kampi-CMD would be behind the candidacy of Apsay against Mancao.

It came as a shock to all media present after the filing of COC of his eldest son Irvin Alcala, 32, when Rep. Proceso Alcala (second district-Quezon) announced in that he trusts his son to continue his legacy of serving the people with utmost sincerity and dedication.

Alcala said he believes that any government position is not permanent but should be given away to those who deserve it. He said he is not turning his back against the people who he said, he owed his political career but to give chance to younger people who are more capable of doing more than he had accomplished during his stint. (philstar.com)

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