Bohol mayor is Duterte’s campaign manager

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Remember the mayor of Maribojoc who told then interior secretary Manuel Roxas II to “scold yourself” while in the midst of rehabilitation and recovery efforts after Bohol province was struck by a devastating earthquake in 2013?

The controversial Mayor Leoncio Evasco, a former priest, is Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign manager in the elections next May. 

Evasco was the same mayor who drove away a team of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) after a squabble in handling the distribution of relief goods to his constituents.

He told PRC volunteers to leave if they did not hand over the relief goods to the local government of Maribojoc.

Duterte, who is running for president, has yet to finalize a team that will handle his campaign just two months before the campaign period starts in February. 

Actually, Evasco is also considered a former rebel priest who has close ties with Duterte even when the latter was still a city prosecutor. 

He eventually became Duterte’s assistant when he became mayor of Davao City for several terms, until deciding to run for mayor himself in Bohol in 2010.

Meanwhile, Duterte’s current executive assistant, Christopher Go, is reportedly Evasco’s assistant campaign manager. 

Go will also be Duterte’s manager during campaign sorties.

He told The STAR that their camp is now in the process of organizing the structure for Duterte’s campaign team.

Talks are also ongoing regarding cooperation with the team of Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Duterte’s running mate. 

Cayetano earlier told The STAR that he had agreed to be the mayor’s spokesman on legal matters.

“He  told me he will take care of the private matters,” Cayetano said. 

He again spent the weekend here in Davao City and attended several engagements with Duterte.