Mutilan running for Lanao Sur gov

COTABATO CITY — Autonomous Region in Muslim Min-danao (ARMM) Vice Gov. Mahid Mutilan bade goodbye to his subordinates in the regional government last Wednesday, his first step in girding up for the gubernatorial race in his home-province of Lanao del Sur.

Mutilan, an Islamic missionary trained at the Al-Azzar University in Cairo, Egypt, was governor of Lanao del Sur for three terms, from 1992 to 2001, before he was elected ARMM vice governor in the Nov. 14, 2001 polls.

Mutilan, in an emotion-filled farewell over Catholic radio station dxMS, told his support staff and supporters that he is now consolidating his political allies in Lanao del Sur in preparation for next year’s elections.

Mutilan, also the regional education secretary, will contest Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong, whom he had "anointed" in the 2001 polls.

Mutilan said his main concern now is how to actively involve Lanao del Sur’s religious community in helping ensure peaceful and orderly elections in the province.

In another development, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has given its blessing to Bai Sandra Sema who will run for Congress in Maguindanao’s first district.

Leaders of the MNLF, which signed a peace pact with the government on Sept. 2, 1996, endorsed Sema’s candidacy during their meeting in Davao City last week.

Sema is the wife of Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema, the MNLF’s secretary-general.

Bai Sandra, who belongs to Maguindanao’s traditional royalty, will file her certificate of candidacy next week under the MNLF-Lakas-CMD (Christian Muslim Democrats) coalition.

Still in her early 30s, Bai Sandra was assistant education secretary of the ARMM from 1997 to 2000.