Maguindanao town mourns mayor's demise

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines - The local communities are mourning the death of a popular scion of Maguindanao royalty, Pagalungan Mayor Norodin Matalam, who fought the government in the 1970s as a secessionist rebel before joining politics after the “People’s Power” revolt.

Newly-elected provincial and municipal officials have expressed sadness over the demise of Matalam, who died of a lingering illness in a hospital in Davao City over the weekend before he could assume his third and last term as mayor of Pagalungan.

Matalam was supposed to be inducted to his fresh term as mayor of Pagalungan on Sunday along with all newly-elected officials of the province.

Matalam, who was in his mid 60s, was son of Datu Udtog, who became governor of the “Empire Cotabato Province” in the 1950s and helped fan the flames of the Southern Moro rebellion by organizing the Mindanao Independence Movement in the late 1960s.

The Empire Cotabato Province eventually splintered in the 1970s into what are now the chartered provinces of North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Maguindanao, Sarangani, Sultan Kudarat and the cities of Cotabato, Kidapawan, Tacurong, Koronadal, and General Santos.

Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, chairman of the provincial chapter of the Liberal Party, said he admires Matalam both as patriot and a committed datu who stood firm on his political convictions.

Matalam first gained popularity as a field commander of the Moro National Liberation Front in the 1970s.

Matalam became vice-governor of Maguindanao in the late 1980s and elected governor in 1992, prior to his election as mayor of Pagalungan. He was re-elected mayor last May 13, after having served as chief executive of the town for two consecutive terms.