COTABATO CITY, Philippines – A 28-year-old provincial board member was appointed acting governor of Maguindanao del Norte following the rise of his predecessor as leader of the Bangsamoro regional government.
Sharifudin “Tucao” Panga Mastura, a certified public accountant-turned-politician, took over the governorship from Abdulraof Macacua, who recently took over as interim chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Mastura, who served as a provincial board member following Maguindanao del Norte’s creation, was sworn into office by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin in Malacañang on Wednesday afternoon, March 26. He was joined by close family members during the ceremony.
In a Facebook post following his appointment, he wrote, “Assalamu Alaikum, my beloved MDN!”
Twice he won as a seat in the provincial board of the now defunct Maguindanao province, a position he held after serving as Sangguniang Kabataan chairman in Sultan Kudarat town.
Mastura is the youngest son of Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte Mayor Tucao Ong Mastura, who is running for governor under the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP). – Rappler.com