Gov. Degamo takes oath as Nacionalista Party member

CEBU, Philippines — Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo has joined the Nacionalista Party and on Saturday took his oath, along with several others, as its member before Senator Cynthia Villar.

The senator had confirmed this after the Sandurot Pakighimamat event at Rizal Boulevard in Dumaguete City.

Villar said the governor may have been encouraged by his wife Mayor Janice Degamo of Pamplona town in Negros Oriental, who is already an NP member ahead of her husband, and the Hugpong Pagbabago party of Mayor Sarah Duterte of Davao City.

Villar said the NP is among the political parties in the country that can issue a certificate of nomination and acceptance (CONA) for their respective official candidates, and not Mayor Sarah’s Hugpong, which incidentally is expected to coalesce with Degamo’s Partido Negorense, a regional party.

Mayor Degamo admitted she was the one who convinced the governor to join the NP “for very good reason” even as the latter also received invitations from other political parties

The Pamplona mayor recalled what was taught by her political science class professor back in college about political partisanship, that it should not only be about money but on who and what political party can sustain you politically during elections.

One of the most important things to consider in joining a political party is you share the same principles and share the same advocacies, said Mayor Degamo who added that she saw some “shady characters” in other parties.

Mayor Degamo, in reference to her joining the NP earlier, said she liked the NP and had read about the accomplishments of Senator Villar, who championed the ‘Sipag at Tiyaga’ principle, through livelihood activities.

Mayor Degamo also said that, soon after she joined the NP, she invited Mayors Melnick Logronio of San Jose, Jose Abiera of Sibulan, and Fritz Diaz of Siaton towns. The NP will have representations in the towns and cities of Negros Oriental, she added. (FREEMAN)