Mangudadatu slams Marcos appointments of leaders in 2 Maguindanao provinces

COTABATO, Philippines – Maguindanao del Sur Governor Mariam Mangudadatu on Sunday, April 9, objected to the appointment of Bangsamoro Senior Minister Abdulraof Macacua as officer-in-charge of the newly created Maguindanao del Norte province. 

Also known as Sammy Gambar, Macacua, who served as chief of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (MILF-BIAF), assumed the post as the officer-in-charge (OIC) of Maguindanao del Norte on March 29 after being sworn into office by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Macacua’s appointment dislodged former Maguindanao vice governor Fatima Ainee Sinsuat who assumed as governor of Maguindanao del Norte earlier, a move frowned upon by the interior ministry of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) whose political territory covers the Maguindanao provinces.

Confident of her position, Mangudadatu appealed to Marcos to “kindly reconsider your decision in regards to the appointment of Abdulraof Macacua as OIC of Maguindanao del Norte.”

Mangudadatu, who was also appointed by Marcos as OIC governor of Maguindanao del Sur, asserted that Marcos can no longer appoint acting governors, vice governors, and elected provincial board members who already assumed their posts in the two new provinces.

The appointments did not sit well with Mangudadatu. “With due respect, Mr. President, I strongly object and oppose the alleged oathtaking. I am the duly elected governor of Maguindanao, and I have already assumed office and performed the functions of governor of Maguindanao del Sur. The vice governor, Ainee Limbona-Sinsuat, assumed the post as governor of Maguindanao del Norte on October 13, 2022, together with the other elected officials.”

Mangudadatu hinted at a political falling out as a result of intrigues, reminding Marcos of her group’s support for his presidential bid during the 2022 elections.

“Kami po ang inyong ‘Family Alliance’ dito sa Maguindanao ang una pong sumuporta po sa inyo… ang inyong unang naapakan sa buong rehiyon ng BARMM. At kami ang mga ‘Family Alliance’ ang sumugal sa inyo dahil ang aming paniniwala na kaya ninyong higitan ang nagawa ng mga nakaraang administrasyon,” she said.

(It was us, the ‘Family Alliance’ in Maguindanao, who first supported you. And we were the ones you first stepped on in the whole of the BARMM. We cast our lot on you because we believed that you can surpass what the past administrations did.)

The ‘Family Alliance’ is a local political group led by the Mangudadatu political dynasty. The Mangudadatu and Sinsuat families are staunch political allies.

Mangudadatu’s son Pax Ali is the current governor of neighboring Sultan Kudarat province, a position her husband and father-in-law once held. Her husband Suharto had reportedly set his eyes on the position of BARMM interim Chief Minister Ahod “Murad” Ebrahim until the latter was reappointed by Marcos in 2022.

Mangudadatu asserted that the posts have already been filled up, and Marcos can only appoint more board members to occupy vacant seats in the provincial boards of Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur upon the recommendation of local chief executives and the congressman.

On Sunday, Mangudadatu publicly read a statement addressed to Marcos before a gathering of local officials, presenting her position and arguments against Malacanang’s appointments.

With her were Sinsuat, Sharifudin Mastura, and Nathaniel Midtimbang. Until Sinsuat’s and Mangudadatu’s appointments as OICs, Mastura and Midtimbang, both elected provincial board members of the old Maguindanao, performed the tasks of vice governor of the two provinces, respectively, after the 2022 plebiscite that ratified the law which split the political territory.

She told Marcos to read the law that created the new Maguindanao provinces.

“Umaapela ako sa iyo, mahal na Presidente. Maiksi lamang po, Republic Act 11550, Section 9 – actually, two pages lamang po iyan, mahal na Presidente – para hindi po kayo ma-mislead ng inyong mga tauhan (I am appealing to you, beloved President. Republic Act 11550, Section 9 is short – it’s just two pages, beloved President – so that you will not be misled by your people),” Mangudadatu said.

The clause is about the legislative districts of the two new provinces. It provides, “The incumbent Representatives of the Province of Maguindanao shall continue to represent their respective legislative districts until the expiration of their terms of office.”

She called on Marcos to abide by RA 7160, the Local Government Code of 1991, and the Constitution, and not to be swayed by intrigues.

“Apela naming, mahal na Presidente, huwag magpadala sa sulsol, lalong lalo na kung wala itong basehan (Our appeal, beloved President, is for you not to listen to bad advice, especially if it has no basis),” Mangudadatu said.

She added, “Tandaan po natin, tatlong taon kaming hinirang na mamuno at tatlong taon din kaming manilbihan sa lalawigan kung saan kami binoto at pinili ng taumbayan (Let’s remember that we were elected to lead and serve).” – Rappler.com

Ferdinandh Cabrera is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow while Rommel Rebollido also received the same fellowship grant in 2022.