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- EDD K. USMAN | X (Twitter): @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 |Facebook: SDN – SciTech & Digital News
MANILA, January 5, 2025 (SDN) — Undivided Maguindanao province’s former three-term governor, Esmail “Datu Toto” Mangudadatu, today, Sunday, urged anyone with evil or criminal intent to stop dropping the name of First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.
“Let us not drag the First Lady in unscrupulous transactions, or whatever illegal ways. It’s unfair to involve her in anything she has nothing to do with and has no knowledge of, for she will not tolerate the misuse of her name, as well as President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.,” the Moro leader emphasizes.
“You will eventually get caught and put behind bars and suffer for your illegal activities. The long arm of the law is at all times catching up with criminals. Justice does not sleep.”
Mangudadatu, in an interview with SDN – SciTech & Digital News, was apparently not speaking about particular persons, addressing his statements in general terms.
But SDN sought him out after his brushes with suspected scammers whom he reported to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which in haste to catch them set up a sting operation at the historic Manila Hotel, Rizal Park, Metro Manila.
The suspects initially tried to sell him one slot as Member of the Parliament (MP) of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), which governs the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), for Php8 million.
Recall that the BARMM Parliament has 80 legislators — 41 from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), 39 from the Government of the Philippines (GPH) side. They are all appointees since the establishment of the BARMM, which abolished and replaced in 2019 the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) through the 2018 Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
Unless an election for the 80 MPs is conducted they will continue to be appointive officials through the President’s signature.
Thus, it is not surprising, observers commented, that positions of MP are being peddled by unscrupulous persons, as amply demonstrated by the aborted offer to Mangudadatu.
As a result of the sting operation, the NBI headed by Director Jaime B. Santiago, a retired judge, nabbed suspects Dianh Sanchez Dagohoy (Diane); Bolkisah Balt Datudacula; Alejandro Barcena Lorino, Jr.; Ronald Joseph Catunao; Leomer Abon; and Tita Natividad for Syndicated Estafa and violation of Article 177 (Usurpation of Authority or Official Functions of the Revised Penal Code (RPC), the agency issued the other day.
The NBI chief recalled that it was on January 2 last week when a complaint was lodged before the office of the Special Task Force (STF) and Cybercrime Division (CCD), which alleged that on December 29, 2024, one certain “Diane” contacted Mangudadatu, the complainant, and offered him a slot as MP of BARMM.
Mangudadatu told SDN the suspect’s offer amounted to Php8 million for a slot. Sensing something fishy about the offer and, obviously aware of the political dynamics in the Bangsamoro region, he went along with the offer.
At first their discussions were made through the phone. Later, the complainant asked the suspect to switch to iMessage, saying he was too busy to talk over the phone. But it was a ruse to get evidence for any eventuality.
Since Mangudadatu is an aspirant for congressman of Maguindanao del Sur in the May 12, 2025, National and Local Elections (NLE), he said he cannot accept the offer.
So, “Diane” offered two slots for one of his sons and a nephew worth Php15 million for both MP seats.
The suspect gave him assurance the two slots will be personally arranged by the First Lady and new MP appointees will have their oath of office by January 3.
No connection with Malacañang Palace
Later they agreed to meet at the hotel in Rizal Park (Luneta Park), with the suspect coming with her group. Now apprised of the scheduled meeting, the NBI’s STF and CCD units cooked up a joint entrapment operation.
On an agreed signal from the complainant, the NBI agents pounced on the six subjects after receiving the marked money and for misrepresentimg themselves as employees of the Office of the President (OP).
In relation with claim, the NBI secured a certification from the OP which confirmed the said subjects are not employees nor in anyway connected with Malacañang Palace.
After the successful entrapment, Santiago lauded his men from the STF and CCD for their swift action leading to the arrests. He also noted that government positions are not for sale.
Meanwhile, over in the Bangsamoro region, the BARMM leadership is known to favor pushing the first parliamentary polls through as even Chief Minister Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim has voiced his desire for it, saying if the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) wins and their bets, too, they will have a stronger mandate as elected officials.
This developed as both the House of Representatives and the Senate have separate bills seeking the regional elections’ postponement for a year to give time to resolve some issues and concerns, including the Supreme Court’s removal in September 2024 of Sulu as component province of the BARMM, as well as forming a new province out of the eight new municipalities comprising the Special Geographic Area (SGA) in North Cotabato but under the regional government’s jurisdiction.
The Parliament also has to finish important legislations and complete the BARMM’s governmental structure. (/)