MILF-BACKED WINNERS. Lawyer Mustapha Nasroding (center), the Cotabato City acting election officer and city board of canvassers chairperson, proclaims Tuesday night (May 10, 2022) mayor-elect Bruce Matabalao (in green shirt) and vice mayor-elect Butch Abu (in white) as winners in the May 9 polls. Both elected officials ran under the United Bangsamoro Justice Party, the political arm of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. (Photo lifted from Bruce Matabalao Facebook Page)
COTABATO CITY – The Commission on Elections Board of Canvassers (Comelec-BOC) proclaimed Tuesday night the winners for the mayoral and vice mayoral positions in this city.
Lawyer Mustapha Nasroding, acting city election officer and board of canvassers’ chairperson, proclaimed former city councilor Bruce Matabalao as mayor-elect and Butch Abu as vice mayor-elect at about 11 p.m.
Both Matabalao and Abu belong to the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the political arm of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Matabalao garnered a total of 36,151 votes to prevail over reelectionist Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi in 172 of 175 clustered precincts.
The BOC said Wednesday the remaining three voting precincts, whose votes have yet to be tallied, will not affect the overall standing of the winning candidates.
On Wednesday morning, the BOC also proclaimed the elected councilors here.
The councilors-elect are Florante Formento (UBJP), Hunyn Abu (UBJP), Maroup Pasawiran (UBJP), Jay Jay Guiani (Team Guiani), Abdulrakim Usman (UBJP), Guiadzuri Midtimbang (UBJP), Kusin Taha (UBJP), Henjie Ali (UBJP), Dr. Danda Juanday (Team Guiani), and Abdilla Lim (Team Guiani).
Speaking in the vernacular, Matabalao appealed for unity among Cotabateños who, he said, have already spoken.
“To all candidates, I hope we continue to work together for the sake of our city,” he added.
He also thanked UBJP president and MILF chair Ahod “Murad” Ebrahim, lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, UBJP secretary-general, and all who supported him and the party candidates.
“This victory is for all of us Cotabateños,” he said. (PNA)
