SC ruling causes crisis in Maguindanao del Norte as Sinsuat claims governor’s seat again
COTABATO CITY, Philippines – A recent Supreme Court (SC) ruling has plunged Maguindanao del Norte into a state of political turmoil, as the vice governor stepped down from her post to reassert her claim over the province’s gubernatorial position.
Fatima Ainee Sinsuat, appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as officer-in-charge/vice governor of Maguindanao del Norte, vacated her office on Monday, August 14. She invoked an SC ruling in late June that she saw as upholding the validity of her assumption as the governor of Maguindanao del Norte after a 2022 plebiscite ratified a law splitting Maguindanao province into two.
Sinsuat was elected in May 2022 as the vice governor of the now-defunct Maguindanao province.
Her lawyer, Ronald Torres, said Sinsuat reassumed the position of Maguindanao del Norte governor on Monday based on a June 26 SC decision on her petition for a writ of Mandamus filed before Marcos appointed her as OIC-vice governor.
Torres said the SC also upheld the validity of Shariffudin Mastura’s assumption as Maguindanao del Norte’s vice governor.
The petition, filed before Marcos Jr.’s appointment of OICs, sought to compel the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) to designate a provincial treasurer for Maguindanao del Norte.
Part of the June 26 decision, released on August 8, read, “Sinsuat, as duly elected Vice-Governor of the Province of Maguindanao, and Mastura, as next ranking member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of Maguindanao, validly assumed office as governor and vice-governor, respectively, of the Province of Maguindanao del Norte, but only in acting capacities until elections for the permanent officials to the said positions shall have been held.”
Torres said, “Bai Ainee reassumed her post as governor, and so, there is no such thing as abandonment or resignation or what.”
He said Mastura also reassumed the acting vice governor position, leaving Sinsuat “no choice but to reassume as the acting governor.”
Maguindanao del Norte OIC-Governor Abdulrauf Macacua wrote the provincial board on Wednesday, August 16, and asked it to officially declare the vice governor position vacant and designate its new presiding officer.
In April, Sinsuat reluctantly stepped aside after Marcos Jr. appointed Macacua as the OIC-governor of Maguindanao del Norte. Marcos also appointed her as the OIC-vice governor.
Before the appointment, Macacua served as senior minister of the Bangsamoro region.
Earlier, the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MILG-BARMM) rejected Sinsuat’s assertion, pointing out that she could only assume the acting governor position if the Maguindanao plebiscite took place before the 2022 elections as provided by law.
Torres, however, said the SC ruling was very clear on whether or not Sinsuat’s and Mastura’s assumptions were valid.
BARMM Interior Minister Naguib Sinarimbo said the SC decision is not final and executory and was taken out of context.
“The summarized decision has not included the appointment of Governor Macacua by President Marcos Jr.. It was not discussed in the case. It has no bearing at all. It does not impact the appointment of Governor Macacua,” Sinarimbo said. – Rappler.com