Caraga governors back Go candidacy

REGIONAL LEADERS Caraga governors at the meeting during which they decided to support Go.—FRANKLIN CALIGUID

SURIGAO CITY — The five governors of provinces in the Caraga region declared support for senatorial candidate Christopher “Bong” Go, formerly President Rodrigo Duterte’s most trusted aide.

The five governors, who pledged “unequivocal and unified support” for Go, were Angel Amante-Matba of Agusan del Norte, Adolph Edward Plaza of Agusan del Sur, Glenda Ecleo of Dinagat, Sol Matugas of Surigao del Norte and Vicente Pimentel Jr. of Surigao del Sur.

Previously allied with the ruling Liberal Party, most of the governors were known to have junked the candidacy of then presidential aspirant Mar Roxas in favor of now President Duterte, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) standard bearer who won the 2016 elections.

The governors, now allied with the President and now members of the ruling PDP-Laban, signed a covenant on Friday at the Surigao del Norte provincial capitol committing their support for Go.

Amante-Matba, governor of Agusan del Norte, said Caraga voters must unite and support Go, whom she described as “true-blue” Mindanaoan and “Caraganon” by heart.

Caraga, considered one of the poorest regions in the country, has 2.28 million registered voters as of May 2018.

“Go is no stranger to the region’s condition,” Amante-Matba said.

“He will be the voice of Caraga in the halls of Senate, if he gets elected,” Amante-Matba added.

Amante-Matba expressed hope that other Mindanao governors would join the Caraga leaders in supporting Go. —Franklin Caliguid