Shariff Aguak vice mayor becomes acting mayor after town chief's absence

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines - The vice mayor of Shariff Aguak assumed on Tuesday as acting mayor following a long absence from office of the municipal chief executive for still unknown reason.

Shariff Aguak is the hometown of the Ampatuans, whose leaders are now incarcerated, undergoing litigation in connection with the infamous Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao Massacre.

Sources from the Department of Interior and Local Government in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) said Vice-Mayor Marop Ampatuan could have conveniently assumed as early as September 11 based on Section 41 of the Muslim Mindanao Act 25, also known as the Regional Local Government Code.

The ARMM’s solicitor-general, Sahara Alia Silongan, had earlier issued a written confirmation of the validity of the vice-mayor’s assumption as acting mayor in view of the absence of Mayor Zahara Upam Ampatuan from office.

ARMM sources said Vice-Mayor Ampatuan has to take over to prevent a hiatus in the municipal government.

The vice mayor was first slated to assume Thursday, but reportedly decided to start functioning as acting mayor a day earlier.

Relatives said now acting mayor Ampatuan, who is a civil engineer by profession, will host a thanksgiving Kanduli banquet on Thursday morning as part of traditional offering for peace and tranquility in Shariff Aguak.

Shariff Aguak was rocked by a recent spate of bombings that scared local folks and dampened the town’s economy.