MILF political party urges supporters to back Maguindanao split
COTABATO CITY, Maguindanao, Philippines — The political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Saturday declared its full support to the move to divide Maguindanao into two provinces and urged its members to vote for the split during the plebiscite set on Sept. 17.
Mohagher Iqbal, vice president for Central Mindanao of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the political party of the former rebel group, urged all UBJP members and officers to vote “yes” to creating the provinces of Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte.
“Dividing the province will bring the government closer to the people,” said Iqbal, a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament and the minister of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Iqbal also called on the people and the leaders of various political groups to work together to ensure clean, honest and orderly plebiscite, as a precursor to the BARMM’s first parliamentary elections in 2025.
“Let the people vote freely and count their votes honestly so that real democracy starts to take root in the region,” Iqbal said.
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On May 27 last year, then President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11550, which splits the current Maguindanao province of 36 towns into Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur, to be ratified in a plebiscite.
Article continues after this advertisementUnder RA 11550, Maguindanao del Norte will compose the municipality of Datu Odin Sinsuat, as the new capital; and the towns of Sultan Kudarat, Sultan Mastura, Talitay, North Upi, Northern Kabuntalan, Mother Kabuntalan, Parang, Buldon, Barira, Matanog and Datu Blah Sinsuat.
Maguindanao del Sur will include Buluan, as the provincial capital; and the towns of Ampatuan, Datu Paglas, Datu Piang, Shariff Aguak, Pagalungan, Sultan sa Barongis, South Upi, Talayan, Salipada Pendatun, Mamasapano, Datu Montawal, Paglat, Guindulungan, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Unsay, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Rajah Buayan, Anggal Midtimbang, Mangudadatu, Pandag, Datu Hofer, Datu Salibo and Saydona Mustapha. Buluan is currently the provincial capital of Maguindanao.
Maguindanao used to be at the heart of the once vast province of Cotabato, which included what are now the provinces of Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat and Sarangani, and the highly urbanized city of General Santos.
If the law is ratified, the incumbent governor will head Maguindanao del Sur while the vice governor will serve as the acting governor of Maguindanao del Norte, according to Section 50 of RA 11550. The province is currently headed by Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu as governor and Bai Fatima Ainee Sinsuat as vice governor.
The members of the provincial board elected last May will continue to serve in the new province where their legislative districts now belong. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will appoint additional board members to fill the vacant seats in each province.
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