Duterte's top campaigner in Maguindanao shows support for LP

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines – The top campaigner in the province of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte endorsed on Tuesday the reelection bids of Liberal Party stalwarts Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and his running mate, ARMM Vice Governor Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman.

Datu Jong Mangudadatu, sibling of reelectionist Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, told local executives from Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, gathered for a solidarity dialogue in Buluan town, that while Duterte is his presidential candidate, he supports Hataman and Lucman.

He even raised the hands of both candidates on the stage inside the air-conditioned Buluan municipal gymnasium where the dialogue among local officials was held, supposedly a Liberal Party (LP) activity.

Datu Jong’s governor-brother, Esmael, is the provincial chairman of LP for Maguindanao province, with covers 36 towns. He is also seeking reelection as LP’s official candidate for Maguindanao governor.

Tuesday’s event at Buluan was also attended by Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr., also an LP member, campaigning for the two reelectionist ARMM officials in his province.

“Kahit ako ay nasa kampo ni Duterte, silang dalawa ang aking kandidato para sa pagka-governor at vice governor ng ARMM,” Datu Jong, a businessman, said in a message.

The solidarity conference at Buluan was organized by the Mangudadatu siblings, among them Freddie, Khadafeh and Zajid, an incumbent congressman, all allies of Hataman and Lucman.

Freddie is mayor of Mangudadatu town and president of the league of mayors in Maguindanao while Khadafeh is a reelectionist member of the ARMM’s 24-seat Regional Legislative Assembly.

The Mangudadatus told reporters the activity was to show to the public the solidarity of LP members in the autonomous region.

Participants to the dialogue, among them local leaders from Sulu, the former congressmen Monir Arbison and Yusoph Jikiri and Mayor Wahid Sahidullah of Tongkil island town, also prayed together for a peaceful and orderly May 9 elections.

The mayors from Basilan were accompanied to Buluan by Congressman Jim Hataman and the spouse of the reelectionist ARMM governor, Anak Mindanao Partylist Rep. Sitti Djalia Turabin Hataman.

The delegation of mayors from Tawi-Tawi was led by Mayor Rejie Sahali-Generale of Panglima Sugala, a vote-rich town in the island province.

Generale, speaking on their group’s behalf, reaffirmed their support to Hataman and Lucman on the stage.

“We travelled for about nine hours just to reach the venue of this event because we know this is a good activity and that we all want peace, political tranquility in the ARMM,” Generale said.

Participants to the dialogue applauded Datu Jong for raising the hands of the two ARMM officials after announcing he supports them both even as they belong to the administration party.

The solidarity dialogue in Buluan on Tuesday was capped off with the swearing over the Qur’an by the Mangudadatus and Hataman to remain politically united and supportive of Malacañang’s Mindanao peace process.