Batan-Ong Taga Cagtinae

04/06/2025

Ace Barbers’ Vendetta: Tainting Surigao del Norte State University with Political Smear and Vote-Buying Shadows

Surigao del Norte’s 2nd District Representative Robert Ace Barbers has unleashed a contentious investigation into the president of Surigao del Norte State University (SNSU), accusing them of allowing the misuse of university facilities, students, and faculty in the campaign of his political rival, Francisco “Lalo” Matugas, during the 2025 elections. This probe, framed as a pursuit of accountability, smells more like a calculated political hit job, with Barbers’ own checkered history—marred by vote-buying allegations and a razor-thin gubernatorial race—casting a long shadow over his motives.

The investigation centers on a disqualification case filed by Barbers’ ally, Lucille Sering, against Lalo Matugas and his son, Francisco Jose “Bingo” Matugas II, claiming SNSU’s Del Carmen Campus was used for campaign activities, specifically citing a video posted on Bingo’s page. But the evidence is flimsy at best—a single social media post with no clear proof of coercion or systemic misuse of SNSU resources. Lalo Matugas has hit back, labeling the case “pure retaliation” for a discrimination complaint he filed against Sering, suggesting Barbers is weaponizing his influence to undermine the Matugas family’s grip on Siargao, where Lalo won the 1st District congressional seat with 60,350 votes to Sering’s 35,934.

Barbers’ probe reeks of hypocrisy when you dig into his own controversies. The Barbers clan, a political dynasty in Surigao del Norte, has long faced accusations of vote-buying to secure their dominance. In the 2025 gubernatorial race, Ace’s brother, Robert Lyndon Barbers, narrowly defeated Bingo Matugas by just 5,494 votes (174,675 to 169,181), a much closer margin than Lyndon’s 2022 victory over Lalo Matugas by 18,116 votes. Whispers of vote-buying have dogged the Barbers’ campaigns, with critics pointing to their history of leveraging resources to sway voters in tight races. While no definitive evidence has been made public, the tight 2025 race fuels speculation that the Barbers resorted to questionable tactics to edge out the Matugases, especially given their entrenched political machine, Abante Surigao, and past alliances with figures like Sara Duterte’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago.

Ace Barbers’ own track record doesn’t inspire confidence. He’s been linked to multiple controversies, from a 2016 ethics complaint for “disorderly behavior” after a heated confrontation with Rep. Prospero Pichay Jr. to libel charges in 2025 from vloggers he accused of ties to illegal drugs and offshore gaming operators. His flip-flopping allegiance—once a staunch Duterte ally, now cozying up to the Marcos administration for a potential cabinet post—further taints his credibility, suggesting this SNSU probe is less about justice and more about settling political scores. In 2005, 14 Surigao del Norte mayors even sought to oust Ace and Lyndon from their Lakas-CMD party posts, signaling early distrust in their leadership.

The real casualty here is SNSU, its students, and faculty, who are being dragged into a political quagmire. Barbers’ investigation risks tarnishing the university’s reputation without solid evidence, all while his family’s electoral victories—bolstered by allegations of vote-buying—raise questions about his moral standing to point fingers. Surigao del Norte deserves better than a congressman using his power to fuel vendettas and distract from his own questionable past. Barbers’ attack on SNSU and the Matugases is a desperate bid to cling to influence, and the province’s voters, who saw a mere 5,494-vote gap in the gubernatorial race, should question whether his family’s grip on power comes at the cost of integrity.

Surigao del Norte Governor Lyndon Barbers defeats Representative Bingo Matugas, while Matugas’ father wins a congressional seat

17/05/2025

MALIMONO: BARBERS COUNTRY NO MORE?

Once a Dynasty’s Fortress, Now a Province’s Political Battleground.

For decades, Malimono in Surigao del Norte was unmistakably Barbers Country—a loyal blue patch on every electoral map. Whether it was Sen. Robert Barbers, Gov. Lyndon Barbers, or Cong. Ace Barbers, the town delivered with consistency and conviction. But after three straight elections—2019, 2022, and now 2025—that grip has visibly weakened.

Malimono is no longer a dynasty’s stronghold. It is now the most fiercely contested battleground in the province, where even a five-vote victory is cause for celebration—and concern

2019: The Cracks Begin to Show

The first real shock came in 2019. While Ace Barbers retained his congressional seat district-wide, something unheard of happened:

Sol Matugas defeated him in Malimono, the first time a Barbers lost the town.

The symbolism was heavy. Malimono, long seen as the dynasty’s crown jewel, broke ranks.

And it didn’t end there:

Lalo Matugas defeated Lyndon Barbers for governor—also winning Malimono.

The Matugas-backed Team Sinaca swept most local posts in the town, taking a supermajority in the municipal council.

Barbers Country had cracked—and for the first time, voters had split away from tradition

2022: The Barbers Strike Back—But Not Fully

The dynasty rebounded in 2022:

Ace Barbers won back Malimono and retained his seat.

Lyndon Barbers reclaimed the governorship, also regaining favor in the town.

But it wasn’t a clean return to dominance. Team Sinaca retained the mayoralty, maintaining a tight hold on local leadership. Malimono voters were splitting tickets, a sign that loyalty was no longer absolute.

2025: Confusion, Close Calls, and New Fissures

The 2025 elections sealed Malimono’s transformation into a swing town.

Bingo Matugas, though defeated by Lyndon Barbers province-wide, won Malimono for governor—echoing 2019.

Badette Barbers, wife of Ace, won the congressional race in Malimono by just five votes against Matugas-backed Jun Jun Egay—the tightest race in town history.

The Barbers-aligned Nacionalista Party finally unseated the Sinaca-led local government after over a decade—but only narrowly:

The mayoral race was won by ~500 votes

The vice mayoralty by just over 100 votes

And the twist? The winners were still relatives of the Sinacas they defeated—showing that family influence persists, even under different party flags

GOKIANGKEE: The Third Dynasty in Play

Overshadowing both Barbers and Matugas, Vice Governor Eddie Gokiangkee is quietly becoming a third pillar of Surigao politics.

Hailing from Claver, a booming town poised for cityhood, Gokiangkee heads his own rising dynasty.

Once allied with the Matugas clan, he joined the Barbers-led Nacionalista Party in 2025—but his loyalty is still being watched.

He won a landslide province-wide in his bid for a third term as Vice Governor.

Yet in Malimono, his margin was only around 1,000 votes against Matugas-backed Bully Navarro.

This thin margin in such a symbolic town hints at Gokiangkee’s limits—and perhaps his ambitions.

Will Gokiangkee remain with the Barbers in 2028—or challenge them?
With his base solid in Claver and growing name recognition across the province, he could emerge as Surigao del Norte’s next dominant force.

29/03/2025

UG KON MUABOT ANG PANAHON…

Wala siya moambisyon nga mahimong usa ka opisyales. Wala niya damha nga mahimutang siya sa posisyon diin ang katawhan mohangad kaniya, magsalig kaniya, ug manawagan sa iyang tingog. Apan siya, usa ka bata nga nagmata sa kalisod, usa ka estudyante nga napugos nga magpanday sa kaugalingong dalan, ug usa ka lider nga wala magpaulipon sa sistema.

Sukad sa iyang pagkabata, siya na ang kasagarang makita sa unahan sa klase—usa ka estudyante nga dili lang makaangkon ug maayong grado, kundi usa nga nagtinguha nga masabtan ang kalibutan nga iyang gipuy-an. Usa siya ka consistent honor student, usa ka Dean’s Lister, usa ka estudyante nga wala magpasagad sa iyang kaugalingong kaugmaon. Ang edukasyon para kaniya dili lang usa ka papel nga may ngalan, kundi usa ka hinagiban nga magamit sa pag-usab sa palibot.

Busa, sa dihang siya nahimong SK Kagawad, iyang gipangandoy nga hatagan ug kahigayunan ang kabatan-onan nga parehas kaniya—mga kabatan-onang nangandoy, mga estudyanteng gustong mopadayon apan napugngan sa kakulang sa salapi. Sa iyang paglingkod sa konseho, wala siya magduhaduha sa pagpanday ug mga programa alang sa educational assistance. Ang pondo nga anaa sa ilang komitiba, iyang gigamit sa maayong pamaagi—walay sayang, walay personal nga interes, ug walay kinut-kot nga panghitabo.

Apan ang iyang kasayuran sa sistema nagpadayag ug lahi nga istorya. Sa iyang pagpangulo isip usa ka tinuod nga "watchdog" sa konseho, siya nakakita sa tinago nga kahimtang sa ilang pagpangobyerno. Nakita niya ang mga buhat nga nagapahimus sa pondo, ang mga lihok nga klaro nga aduna’y pagpanglimbong, ang mga kamot nga nagdugang ug kantidad sa ilang kaugalingong bulsa imbis sa pagpahigayon sa tinuod nga proyekto.

Siya nakasaksi. Siya nakasabot. Ug siya nakamatngon nga kung siya magpakahilom, siya mahimong kabahin sa sistema nga dugay nang nagapahimus sa kabatan-onan. Busa, wala siya magduhaduha—iyang gipataas ang iyang tingog, iyang gisukol ang dautang binuhatan, ug iyang gisang-at ang tinuod nga prinsipyo sa serbisyo nga matinud-anon.

Apan ang katapusan sa iyang paningkamot? Dili tanan nalipay sa iyang pagkamatinud-anon. Dili tanan nalipay nga aduna’y usa ka Kagawad nga wala mahadlok moatubang sa tinuod. Apan ang katawhan? Ang katawhan nagpakabana. Ang katawhan nakakita ug usa ka lider nga dili lang kahibalo, dili lang edukado, kundi adunay kaisog nga moatubang sa panghimaraot ug mohaw-as sa karaang sistema.

Ug karon, daghan ang misuporta kaniya. Daghan ang misalig kaniya. Daghan ang nangandoy nga siya dili lang magpabilin diha sa iyang pwesto. Sa kasaba sa barangay, sa mga hagit nga ilang gipadangat, usa ka pangutana ang misangko sa iyang hunahuna—Andam na ba siya mosaka sa mas taas nga posisyon? Andam na ba siya nga dili lang magbantay, kundi mooy mopangulo?

Wala pa siya motubag. Wala pa siya moingon kung moadto ba siya sa sunod nga hagdanan sa pagpangulo. Apan usa ka butang ang sigurado—ang iyang tingog mas lig-on pa sa una, ang iyang prinsipyo mas ligdong pa sa uban, ug ang iyang pag-alagad dili na mahunong. Ug kun moabot ang hustong panahon, ang katawhan mismo ang magdala kaniya sa mas dako nga pwesto—usa ka posisyon nga angayan para sa usa ka lider nga dili lang maalam, kundi matinud-anon, lig-on, ug wala mahadlok moatubang sa tinuod.

Wala siya manghambog nga siya ang labing maayong lider. Wala siya magpaabot ug pasidungog. Apan siya matinud-anon sa iyang panumpa—mobarug batok sa pagpanglimbong, molaban alang sa kabatan-onan, ug mopadayon sa tinuod nga pag-alagad.

Daghan ang misalig. Daghan ang nagduso. Moadto ba siya sa mas taas nga pwesto?

Dili na siya ang mangutana. Ang katawhan na ang mohatag sa tubag.