Mangudadatu political scion wins over ex-beauty queen
ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat (MindaNews) – Despite the controversy hounding his gubernatorial bid, Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu was proclaimed winner Tuesday night over former beauty queen Sharifa Akeel Mangudadatu.
The Sultan Kudarat Provincial Board of Canvassers declared Mangudadatu at 11:47 p.m. Tuesday as the winner in the province’s gubernatorial race, which was hounded by electoral protest.
Akeel Mangudadatu, the 2018 Ms. Asia Pacific titlist, earlier petitioned the Commission on Elections (Comelec) about the residency status of her rival, the mayor of Datu Abdullah Sangki in Maguindanao.
The Comelec en banc favored Akeel Mangudadatu’s petition canceling Mangudadatu’s certificate of candidacy, but the latter managed to get a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court last Friday stopping the poll body’s order.
“This is the proclamation of the empowered Sultan Kudarat’s choice,” Mangudadatu said, thanking his supporters.
Mangudadatu vowed to continue the “excellent service” that his predecessors rendered to the Christiandominated province that his elders served for a long time.
In his 20s, Mangudadatu is the son of incumbent Gov. Suharto “Teng” Mangudadatu, who served as Sultan Kudarat governor from 2007 to 2016, first district representative from 2016 to 2019, and governor again from 2019 to 2022.
Teng is the son of Sultan Kudarat political juggernaut, Sultan Pax Mangudadatu, Pax Ali’s grandfather. Sultan Pax served as governor of Sultan Kudarat from 1998 to 2007, first district representative from 2007 to 2010, and governor again from 2016 to 2019.
Pax Ali Mangudadatu is also the son of reelected Maguindanao Gov. Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu.
Sultan Kudarat and Maguindanao are adjacent provinces.
During his proclamation,