Ex-governors vie for old posts in Cotabato, Agusan del Norte provinces

DAVAO CITY — Former governors allied with the administration are trying to make a comeback to their old posts in at least two provinces in Mindanao.

In Cotabato province, Vice Governor and former three-term Governor Emmylou “Lala”

Taliño-Mendoza is making a comeback in the province’s highest post in a face-off with incumbent Governor Nancy Catamco, who is running for her second term.

Mendoza, who runs under the Nacionalista Party, filed her certificate of candidacy on Wednesday, Oct. 6, to challenge Catamco, who is running under the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

Mendoza used to serve as Cotabato provincial governor from 2010 up to the end of her third term in 2019, when she ran for vice governor and won.

On Wednesday, she filed her COC with running mate Board Member Shirlyn Macasarte, daughter Ma. Samantha Alana Taliño-Santos who ran for Cotabato province’s third district congressional seat for the first time, and other partymates at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Kidapawan City.

Catamco, who filed her COC two days later, earlier tussled with Mendoza over the province’s proposed 2021 budget and Supplemental Budget 1, which Catamco claimed Mendoza had slashed by P203 million and P100 million respectively, because of “politics.”

Mendoza explained that some of the items in the proposed budget were not viable under the COVID-19 pandemic and that they recommended the purchase of morenCOVID-19 vaccines instead.

In Agusan del Norte, second district Rep. Angel Amante-Matba is making a comeback as governor while incumbent Governor Dale Corvera is running for the seat she currently held at the House of Representatives.

In Butuan City, the provincial capital, Mayor Ronnie Vicente Lagnada who is identified with the National Unity Party runs for his third term against Buenavista town mayor and Bombo Radyo Butuan station manager Norbert B. Pagaspas, who runs under the ruling PDP-Laban Cusi wing. NUP is allied with the administration party PDP-Laban Cusi wing, making Butuan City a free zone.

Rep. Law Fortun, who will be ending his third term as congressional representative in the first district, will run as Lagnada’s running mate while the city’s incumbent Vice Mayor Joboy Aquino, will join the congressional race in the first district.

Aquino, who used to be a third-term congressman in the first district before he ran for city vice mayor in the previous elections and won, will now have to fight it out with lawyer Ronel Azarcon, People’s Reform Party bet Arcedel Libarios, and Partido Federal ng Pilipinas bet Erwin Orlanda for the post.