COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 16 January) — Former Maguindanao Vice-Governor Ismael “Dustin” Veloso Mastura has been appointed as commissioner in the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF).
Mastura took his oath before Governor Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu of Maguindanao, at the provincial capitol in Buluan, Maguindanao on January 14, in the presence also of her husband, Governor Datu Teng Mangudadatu of Sultan Kudarat province.
Mastura took the seat vacated by Commissioner Abdulhadi Daguit of the Office of Commissioner for Ulama, who completed his four-year term.
Datu Ismail “Dustin” Veloso Mastura, Maguindanao Vice Governor from 2010 to 2013, takes his oath as Commissioner of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos before Maguindanao Governor Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu, on 14 January 2021 at the provincial capitol in Buluan, Maguindanao. Photo courtesy of Maguindanao Province
Mastura thanked the Mangudadatu couple for endorsing him to Senator Bong Go and President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Our very concern usually is the issue on Hajj so I am happy to share if we can fix some issues there,” he said.
Mastura was Vice Governor to Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangdudatu from 2010 to 2013.
The NCMF was created by RA 9997 in 2010, replacing the Office of Muslim Affairs. It is composed of nine commissioners, headed by an Executive Secretary. The other commissioners are for Women, Ulama, Youth, Tausug, Sama Bangingi, Iranon, Maguindanon, and Meranaw.
The incumbent Executive Secretary is Saidamen Balt Pangarungan, who served as Governor of Lanao del Sur from 1988 to 1992.
In 2020, NCMF had a budget of 671 million pesos. The NCMF was placed under the supervision of the Cabinet Secretary on July 4, 2016 through President Duterte’s Executive Order 1, and since October 31, 2018, has been under the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) through EO 67. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera / MindaNews)
