Missing mayor pushing for ‘no’ vote on proposed Dinagat provincehood

SURIGAO CITY — Missing Del Carmen Mayor Arlencita Navarro who is presumed dead by Surigao City Mayor Alfonso Casurra with 19 others missing including Burgos Municipal Councilor Agustin Espanto was supposed to spearhead a campaign for a ‘no’ vote for this Saturday’s plebiscite on Dinagat provincehood.

Surigao del Norte Vice Gov. Rodolfo "Ompong" Navarro who is a cousin of Navarro’s husband, former Surigao del Norte Rep. Constantino Herrera Navarro Jr. said the mayor even called him up and reminded him about their plan for an intensified campaign against Dinagat provincehood.

Surigao del Norte Provincial Board member Atty. Victor Bernal also claimed the mayor reminded him through a mobile phone call last Nov. 25 telling the board member that when she comes back from island town Del Carmen, she will personally spearhead the "no" campaign.

The mayor’s daughter, Lorelei Santiago confirmed to The STAR that her mother’s instructions were to prepare everything, "so that when she comes back Monday everything is already prepared as she will tour for a ‘no’ campaign for Dinagat provincehood," Santiago said.

But the Nov. 27 plans never materialized because the mayor, the fiercest critic of the perceived Barbers, Casurra tandem and Ecleo political dynasty was among the victims of the MB Leonida II sea tragedy.

Navarro, was among the mayors including League of Mayors head of the province, Mayor Jun Romarate of Tubod, five provincial board members and the vice governor of Surigao del Norte including the Roman Catholic and the Aglipayan Church’s hierarchies of Surigao del Norte and a group of lawyers who are opposing the creation of Dinagat Province.

All oppositors are incumbent officials including Navarro who are LAKAS-CMD-NUCD stalwarts in the province but severed ties with the Barbers, Casurra and Ecleo group.

On Dec. 2, the Comelec Provincial Office here will conduct a province-wide plebiscite including Surigao City, a component city of Surigao del Norte, on whether the people of the entire province will favor the creation of Dinagat Island as a separate province or not.

But unlike the well funded campaign for a ‘Yes’ vote which is fully supported by Surigao City Mayor Alfonso Casurra, a close political ally of the Barbers, Surigao del Norte Gov. Robert Lyndon Barbers and his brother, Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, the ‘no’ vote drive has no single cents for its campaign.

"We have no funding unlike that of First District Surigao del Norte Rep. Glenda Ecleo and her allies who are in all out campaign for a "yes" vote," said Surigao del Norte Vice Gov. Navarro who severed ties with the Barbers over irreconcilable differences. — Ben Serrano