Rival Moro politicians forge election peace deal

COTABATO CITY — Feuding politicians in two Bangsamoro provinces, embroiled in intense political rivalries, signed a covenant on Tuesday, March 18, committing to abide by the Omnibus Election Code.

Suharto Mangudadatu and Tucao Mastura, candidates for governor of the newly-created Maguindanao del Norte, reelectionist Maguindanao Gov. Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu, and contender Datu Ali Midtimbang affixed their signatures to the compact after a peace dialogue at the headquarters of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte.

The dialogue, organized by officials of the 6th ID led by Major Gen. Donald Gumiran, was jointly presided over by George Erwin Garcia, chairman of the Commission on Elections; Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity Carlito Galvez Jr.; Brig. Gen. Romeo Juan Macapaz, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region; the commander of the military’s Western Mindanao Command, Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete; and Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulrauf Macacua.

Two aspirants for congressional representative in Maguindanao del Sur, reelectionist Mohamad Paglas and Esmael Mangudadatu, along with vice gubernatorial candidates Benzar Ampatuan and Sheik Hashim Nando in the province, and the two contenders for vice governor of Maguindanao del Norte, Marshall Sinsuat and Ainee Limbona-Sinsuat, also signed the covenant.

The agreement urged all signatories to cooperate in ensuring safe, peaceful, and clean elections in the neighboring Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte provinces.

Nafarrete, a former 6th ID commander, and Macapaz separately assured that they would monitor compliance with the covenant, which they sealed with their signatures in the presence of reporters and representatives from various peace-advocacy groups.

“We are peace and security deputies of the Comelec during the 2025 elections. We will, thus, exhaust all means of ensuring safe and clean elections in these two provinces,” Nafarrete said.

Sangki-Mangudadatu, who is running for a third and final term in the May 2025 elections, emphasized that the Comelec, police, and military should also focus on what she referred to as "third parties" that could potentially disrupt the electoral process in certain areas of the province to favor their supported politicians.

“That is a concern we need to focus our attention on,” she told reporters at the sideline of Tuesday’s event at the 6th ID headquarters in Camp Siongco in Barangay Awang in Datu Odin Sinsuat.