ARMM Assembly creates new province: Shariff Kabungsuwan

COTABATO CITY — In what is considered a landmark move, the Regional Assembly of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) passed yesterday a law creating the province of Shariff Kabungsuwan, which will cover all of the towns in the first district of Maguindanao.

The new province is named after Shariff Mohammad Kabungsuwan, an Arab preacher who set foot in what is now Cotabato City during the 14th century to preach Islam.

Regional Speaker Paisalin Tago, one of the authors of the new province, said ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan will soon sign the law, after which the Commission on Elections will hold a plebiscite in the affected towns to determine if the locals approve of the new province.

Shariff Kabungsuwan is the first province ever created by the ARMM Regional Assembly, which in the past had only formed new municipalities, the latest of which were four towns in the island-province of Basilan.

"The ARMM legislature has the power to create provinces as long as the areas to be covered will not in any way alter areas covered by each of the congressional districts in the autonomous region," said Tago.

Ampatuan earlier endorsed the creation of Shariff Kabungsuwan, convinced that it will not only hasten the delivery of government services in the first district of Maguindanao, but will allow equitable sharing of power among local leaders.

Shariff Kabungsuwan will cover the towns of Matanog, Barira, Buldon, Parang, Sultan Mastura, Sultan Kudarat, Kabuntalan, Datu Odin Sinsuat, North Upi and Datu Blah.

Under the ARMM charter, Republic Act 9054, Ampatuan, as the region’s chief executive, would have to appoint qualified people to temporarily manage the new province pending the election of its first set of officials in next year’s polls.