Tawi-Tawi mayor drops last term bid to campaign for LP bets

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The mayor of Tawi-Tawi’s capital town, Bongao, is not seeking reelection so he can campaign for the national candidates of the Liberal Party (LP) and the governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Mayor Jasper Que, who is on his second term, said he decided not to seek reelection so he can focus on the campaign for LP’s standard bearer Mar Roxas and for ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman.

The municipality of Bongao has more than 40,000 registered voters, according to Que.

“Roxas and Hataman are my companions in the Liberal Party. I believe in their leadership and I will campaign for them,” the mayor said yesterday.

Que is a relative of Sulu Vice Gov. Sakur Tan, an LP member who will challenge Hataman in the 2016 elections.

Tan’s candidacy was without permission from the party.

Hataman, Que and Maguindanao Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu met on Thursday to discuss political issues besetting ARMM and measures to ensure peaceful and orderly elections.

The meeting was attended by Maguindanao Vice Gov. Lester Sinsuat and the mayor of Parang, said to be Maguindanao’s vote-rich town.

Sinsuat is chairman of the Association of Lumad, Iranun and Maguindanao (ALIM) leaders, a group composed of over 200,000 voters scattered in the first and second districts of Maguindanao.

Mangudadatu and Sinsuat, both LP members, are seeking reelection as running mates with the support of ALIM.

Mangudadatu said ALIM members would support LP’s official candidates for national positions and for governor of ARMM.