Duterte supporter creates stir during LP rally in Maguindanao

BULUAN, Maguindanao –- It was supposed to be a Liberal Party grand rally here on Tuesday
with regional, provincial and local administration aspirants expressing support
to administration presidential hopeful Mar Roxas.

But one of the
speakers, former Buluan Mayor Ebrahim Jong” Mangudadatu, publicly endorsed
PDP-Laban presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte as LP bets watched in
awe and puzzled.

However stunned,
nobody prevented the former mayor, brother of Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Toto
Mangudadatu from endorsing candidate other than all LP speakers have endorsed.

Duterte endorsed in Maguindanao LP rally

To capped his spectacular
act which also solicited laughter and cheers, Jong Mangudadatu joined Regional
Gov. Mujiv Hataman, his brother Esmael, ARMM Vice Gov. Abdulrashid Lucman and
Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong Jr on stage to show the LP letter L” sign
before journalists.

But Jong
Mangudadatu raised a clinched-fist sign, the signature symbol of Duterte, to
the crowd’s delight. (see photo)

Speaking before thousands
of supporters, Jong Mangudadatu said that while he publicly endorsed Duterte’s
presidency, he is behind the reelection nbid of Gov. Hataman and Vice Gov.
Lucman.

I am now throwing
my support for the tandem of Hataman and Lucman and their liberal party mates
because I am convinced they are sincere in pushing the interest of Bangsamoro,”
said Mangudadalu who also goes by the name Datu Jong.”

Datu Jong admitted contemplated
of running for ARMM governor to challenge Hataman but he was prevailed upon by
his brothers. For love and respect I backed off based on the advice of his
siblings,” Datu Jong said of his brothers who all belonged to the ruling LP.

Aside from Gov.
Mangudadatu, his brother House of Representative member Zajid representing second
district of Maguindanao, Toy, an assemblyman in ARMM, Freddie, the town mayor
and the rest more than a dozen relatives are all allied with Liberal party.

How can a
Bangsamoro not support Bangsamoro candidates that Mindanaons should be
proud of in this new era of Philippine politics?” Datu Jong said.

He also referred
Duterte as a Bangsamoro.

The event was
attended by around five hundred individuals consisting of hundreds of incumbent
mayors, barangay chairperson former rebel commanders, law makers, prominent political
clans and former politicians from the provinces of Lanao Del Sur, Sulu, Basilan
and Tawi-Tawi.

Charlie Senase, a
veteran journalist in Central Mindanao, said this is an indication that despite
different preferred candidates voters have matured and this is the real essence
of democracy.

A more matured
political exercise that has drastically changed in political landscape of the region,”
he said.

During a press briefing,
Hataman lauded the support he now enjoys from political leaders who towed the
administration’s slogan of Daang Matuwid.”

Hataman simply
smiled and shrugged his shoulders when asked about what Datu Jong have expressed
in Liberal Party event.

Mahirap lang
maniguro pero almost tapos na ang boxing” (It’s so hard to say that we are sure
winners now but you can interpret it this way – the boxing is over),” Hataman
said even as he expressed confidence he will end up victorious.

Hataman is facing a
fellow Liberal Party member, incumbent Vice-Governor Sakur Tan, a known
political kingpin in Sulu province whom Hataman described earlier in his rally
as political warlord.”

12-0 victory, no way”

Despite getting
around 90 percent of incumbent local leaders mostly members of Liberal party,
there is no such thing in the vocabulary that they will engage in controversial
12-0 votes for Mar-Leni and party senatorial line-up.

We will not
dictate, we will give freedom to choose their leaders,” Hataman said. No way
to 12-0 but what we can assure to the party is to convince sincerely the voters
and widen our campaign to continue the Daang Matuwid in favor of Mar and Leni
tandem,” Hataman assured. ARMM has 1.6 million voters.

Security, Peace and Order a Priority platform

Hataman said he has
done so much about infrastructure and development in the region. His eyes will focus more on peace and security
development, addressing mainly the terrorism in Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi.

We don’t want to
be tagged as Somalia of the South someday, we will do our very best to stop
this vicious cycle with the help of the people, that is why we gave our all out
support to the ongoing Law Enforcement Operation (LEO) against he Abu Sayyaf
Group,” Hataman told reporters.

Hataman blamed
poverty and lack of education as the reasons why this lawless group lured many
local folks and this is where his administration is focusing.

Meanwhile, Hataman
said the regional government is giving its all out support to safely rescue the
remaining 22 kidnapped victims by Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu area.

Hataman said the
government is also addressing seriously the closure of the ARMM-Malaysian
border which was one of the negative effects of Abu Sayyaf kidnapping of
foreign nationals.

Kidnapping in the
South has adverse effects on the local economy,” he said. The closure of Malaysian-Philippine borders
deprived ARMM citizens the centuries-old barter trading.

Hataman has sought
the help of the Department of Foreign Affairs to intervene because diplomatic
protocols are necessary to address the border closure.

Malaysia shut down
its international waters to all sea vessels traversing Philippines to Sabah, Malaysia
due to a series of kidnapping incidents by ASG extremists. (Ferdinandh Cabrera)