COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/ 09 Oct) – Four clans in Maguindanao have agreed to field common candidates to ensure a peaceful conduct of the 2019 midterm elections in the province.
In a kanduli (thanksgiving) Monday at the Shariff Kabunsuan Complex the Mangudadatu, Sinsuat, Mastura and Midtimbang clans vowed to stop political animosities which they blamed as the reason for the 2009 Ampatuan massacre that killed 58 people.
“These gathering gave us the opportunity to move to one direction,” Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mang
uadatu said.
“All of us agreed to seek elective posts under the banner of PDP and Hugpong ng Pagbabago,” Mangudadatu later told reporters.
Hugpong ng Pagbabago is a regional political party organized and headed by presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
“This gathering is unprecedented. We are glad common interest prevailed over other interests of Moro leaders,” Mangudadatu said in the vernacular.
He announced that the Mangudadatu-Sinsuat tandem in Maguindanao remains.
As agreed by clan leaders, the governor who will end his term in June next year will run as representative of the second district. His brother and incumbent second district Rep.
Zajid Mangudadatu will run as senator. Another brother, Mangudadatu town mayor Freddie Mangudadatu, will run for governor with incumbent Vice Gov. Lester Sinsuat as his running mate.
Ronnie Sinsuat Jr., Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Regional Legislative Assembly Speaker will run as representative of the first district of Maguindanao.
Members of the Midtimbang and Mastura clans were offered to run as provincial board members.
Rep. Mangudadatu said any misunderstanding would be settled the traditional way to prevent bloodshed. (Ferdinandh Cabrera/MindaNews)
