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
