Maguindanao is poised to have its first female governor

Suharto “Teng”Mangudadatu and his wife, Bai Mariam Lim Sangki-Mangudadatu. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

COTABATO CITY - A wife and her husband, who is running unopposed, are set to take hold of gubernatorial posts in two different provinces.

Outgoing Sultan Kudarat province First District Representative Suharto “Teng”Mangudadatu and his wife, Bai Mariam Lim Sangki-Mangudadatu, are set to govern the provinces of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat.

Bai Mariam who was running under the Nacionalista party and incumbent Mayor of Datu Abdullah Sangki has gained more votes than the brother of incumbent governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, Datu Freddie.

Bai Mariam will be Maguindanao’s first lady governor and the first couple governor in Central Mindanao’s history.

In the latest Comelec data with 95.88% processed election returns, Bai Mariam garnered 251,773 votes over her close rival Datu Freddie who got 192,252.

Maguindanao voters have 533,389 votes cast from the total 766,497 registered voters.

Only five towns are yet to transmit their election returns, but outcomes of the votes could not affect the large gap between the candidates in the towns of Parang and Pagalungan.

Representative Suharto “Teng” Mangudadatu who is running under the National Unity Party (NUP) is the son of incumbent Sultan Kudarat Governor Sultan Pax Mangudadatu.

Sultan Pax is brother of the father of the siblings Freddie and Governor Toto Mangudadatu, Datu Pua.

Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu has teamed-up with the five ruling clans of Maguindanao namely the Sinsuat, Mastura, Midtimbang, Ampatuan and her side of Sangki-Mangudadatu, which led to her victory. — BAP, GMA News