Sinsuat in hot water

The Supreme Court on Wednesday announced that it has ordered Maguindanao del Norte Vice Governor Bai Fatima Ainee Sinsuat to explain within 10 days why she should not be cited for contempt.

Sinsuat’s show cause order stemmed from her alleged failure to promptly inform the Court of her appointment, oath taking, and assumption as vice governor of Maguindanao del Norte.

To recall, Sinsuat — who was elected as vice governor of the province after she won in the 2022 national and local elections — assumed the post of acting governor of the newlycreated province of Maguindanao del Norte.

She wrote a letter to respondent Bureau of Local Government FinanceRegional Office XII requesting that a certain Badorie Alonzo be designated as provincial treasurer.

When informed by the BLGF Region XII that it intended to seek guidance on the matter from respondents Bureau of Local Government Finance-Central Office and the Ministry of Interior and Local Government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the province of Maguindanao del Norte — represented by Sinsuat — filed a petition for mandamus with prayer for the issuance of a preliminary mandatory injunction against respondents to compel the latter to process the designation of Alonzo or any qualified person designated by Sinsuat as provincial treasurer.

On 19 April 2023, the Court granted Sinsuat’s appeal for a writ of preliminary mandatory injunction and ordered the respondents to process Alonzo’s or any qualified person’s designation as provincial treasurer of Maguindanao del Norte.

The SC then on 26 June 2023 issued a decision granting the petition for mandamus and made the writ of preliminary mandatory injunction permanent, ordering the BLGF Region XII to process the appointment of Alonzo or any qualified person designated by Sinsuat as treasurer of the province of Maguindanao del Norte.