Cousin defeated Andal's son in Shariff Aguak mayoral race

SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao --- The youngest son of former Gov. Andal Ampatuan, Sr. was defeated by a cousin in Monday’s mayoral race in the politically-troubled Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao.Ampatuan’s son, Sajid, lost to a cousin, Marop, the reelectionist mayor of the municipality.Shariff Aguak was once known as the center of the political principality of Ampatuan and his children, covering at least 11 vote-rich towns, which crumbled as a consequence of the now infamous Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao Massacre.Ampatuan, implicated in the atrocity, died of liver cancer last year while in detention.The father of Marop, Akmad, was elected vice mayor of the same town.The father-and-son candidacy tandem was anointed by Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, chairman of the Liberal Party for Maguindanao province.Poll officials proclaimed them both as elected, with terms of office lasting from June 30, 2016 to June 30, 2019, on Tuesday morning in the town proper of Shariff Aguak.At least three grenade attacks, blamed on suspected partisans, in Shariff Aguak late Sunday did not hamper the conduct of Monday’s electoral exercise in the area.