Mangudadatu 'willing to reconcile' with Mastura

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - Apparently headed for proclamation, re-electionist Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu reiterated Wednesday his willingness to reconcile with his rival, Hadji Tucao Mastura, once canvassing of election returns are over.

Mangudadatu’s younger siblings, Khadafy and Zajid, also assured of their readiness to join their brother in reconciling with Mastura.

Khadafy is now leading in the initial tally of votes for one of three seats for the second district of Maguindanao in the Regional Legislative Assembly in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Zajid, on the other hand, is ahead by a wide vote margin over other aspirants for the congressional seat also in the second district of Maguindanao.

“My first official act, if proclaimed, with Allah’s permission, is to reconcile immediately with my rivals and all local communities that supported them,” Mangudadatu told reporters via text message Wednesday.

Unofficial vote count for the gubernatorial election in Maguindanao showed Mangudadatu leading the race with 112,532 votes, with Mastura lagging behind, scoring only 39,980 as of Wednesday morning.

Mangudadatu said elections are just electoral exercises and that any animosity sparked by opposing political views, party allegiances during the campaign period, should be put to rest after winning candidates have been proclaimed.

“We have to immediately embrace each other in peace, allow to be bound tightly by the unifying rope of Islam, and move on. We must rebuild the linkages with one another, as friends, relatives, and most importantly, as children of Allah,” Mangudadatu said.