By Ali G. Macabalang

DATU ODIN SINSUAT, Maguindanao – The mayoral candidate here of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) was shot dead while leaving the mosque today.

According to raw information from residents, former Barangay Dalican Chairman Jamael Sinsuat was emerging from the compounded mosque after joining the Friday congregational prayer when his assailant(s) shot him at close range past 1p.m. today.

The mosque located beside the municipal hall building here was constructed by and during the regime of the victim’s father, after whom this highly-populated and vote-rich town was named.

Informants said another still unidentified person also died on the spot when hit possibly by a stray bullet because one of the escorts of the slain politician was able to return fire.

The slain politician was the youngest of the children of the late former Mayor Datu Odin Sinsuat. The eldest is Datu Bimbo, a former assemblyman of the defunct regional autonomous government, a vice governor and board member of Maguindanao.

Datu Jamael ran for mayor here in the May 9, 2022 elections under the UBJP against his own nephew, former three-term Vice Gov. Datu Lester Sinsuat. The latter won the mayoral race.

Police authorities, including scene-of- the-crime operatives (SOCO), have launched separate investigations into today’s incident, residents said.

An informant privy to politics in the town said a “third party” could be behind the assassination because the Sinsuat clan was set to formalize this coming Sunday all reunification efforts bilaterally initiated after the mayoral contest.

According to other residents, the Sinsuats were trying to reunify forces in preparation for the first election of officials in the newly created Maguindanao del Norte province.

Maguindanao voters overwhelmingly ratified last September 17 R.A. 11550, which divided their province into two - Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte.

R.A. 11550 was jointly authored in 2021 at the House of Representatives by former Congressmen Ronnie Sinsuat and Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu.

Sinsuat, also an uncle of today’s fatality, and Mangudadatu ran for reelection and governor, respectively, in the May 9 polls, under the UBJP but lost.

After the ratification of the law, newly reelected Gov. Marian Sangki-Mangudadatu would continue serving as chief executive of Maguindanao del Sur, while newly elected Vice Governor Ainee Limbona-Sinsuat would act as OIC-governor for Maguindanao del Norte.

Vice Gov. Limbona-Sinsuat is wife of this town’s newly elected Mayor Lester. (AGM)