tgErA.1loit'SrIADrNeXrWSplpni MindanaoNews I Y lll l\.rt/,| f \-/t\-/
Wednesday, August 7 , 2019 10
Solon wants Maguind artau
divided into two provinces turf into a separate province. Her bill, however, did not gain COTABATO CITY- Rep. Es- priority deliberation in the 17th mael "Toto" Mangudadatu (2nd Congress. . district, Maguindanao) is reviving Former Muslim Mindanao a propo sal to di-rride Maguindanao legislative Speaker Ronnie Sin- into two provinces suat, who succeeded Sema via Mangudadatu filed on Mon- the 2019 midterm elections, is day House Bill3054 grouping all reportedly supportive of the 11 towns in the first district to splitting of Maguindanao into two constitute "Maguindanao North" provinces. with Sultgn Kudarat town as pro- Months before the 2019 mid- vincial seat. term polls, then Gov. Manguda- Maguindanao presently has datu, Speaker Sinsuat and for- 36 towns, 11 of which constitute mer Sultan Kudarat Mayor Tbcao the province's first Congressional l{astuqa_had formed a political district. The Ll*towns include alliance, and agreed on common Parang, Datu Odin Sinsuat and agenda - to create anotherprov- Sultan Kudarat municipalities, ince out of Maguindanao. which'are the most populated and Mangudadadtu earlier told vote-richest in the province. They the Manila Bulletin that upon have a total populationof 821,475 his assumption as lawmaker, as of2015. he would push for the creation Under Rep. Mangudadatu's of Maguindanao North to fortiff 30-page draft bill, the prcvince's 25 foca! efforts in steering "small- other tbwns comprising presently er provinces" towards greater the second district will constitute heights. the mother province * Mqg*n- He hinted that dividing Magu- danao. The 25 towns, including indanao can help flesh out the the present Buluan capital tbwn, Duterte government's vision have a total population of 651,896 in bringing the Bangsamoro as of2015. Autonomous Region in Muslim Former lst District Rep. Bai Mindanao (BARMM) at parwith Sandra Sema, before the lapse developedregions in the country. last lrmeS0 of herthree-elective Maguindanao is BARMM's most ;e{ms, had filed a bill for the populated and vote-richest com- reconstitution of her il-town ponent province.