Political neophytes in the Bangsamoro Region in Mindanao who ran under the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) won most of the local posts ersrtwhile dominated by known political clans for more than 50 decades.
The UBJP headed by its president, Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim, is the political wing of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which is also chaired by him.
UBJP’s candidates won in the gubernatorial races in Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi and in the mayoral contests in Cotabato City, Datu Odin Sinsuat (DOS), among other areas.
Governor-elects Ali Midtimbang and Tucao Mastura’s victories in Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte, respectively, are nothing short of remarkable as they were bets of the UBJP, a first-timer in politics, and won with arguably lesser resources on May 12, 2025.
Re-electionist Mayor Mohammad Bruce Matabalao’s victory in Cotabato City had an air of confidence from the get-go, beating his once ally former Vice Mayor Butch Abu.
Midtimbang and Mastura, of the prominent political clans of the once undivided Maguindanao won over the dynasty of Gov. Mariam S. Mangudadatu and her husband, Suharto “Teng” Mangudadatu, former governor of Sultan Kudarat province, also known political family in the province.
But among these UBJP victories in the midterm polls, nothing, according to local political observers, is more seismic than that of Mayor-elect BabaAbas’ surprising triumph against incumbent Mayor Lester Sinsuat, scion of the Sinsuat clan, in Datu Odin Sinsuat.
Political observers in the region noted that one of the most crucial events that apparently turned the tide for Abas, who is a cousin of Mohagher Iqbal, UBJP vice president for Central Mindanao. was an attempt to replace the board of electors of the regional Commission on Elections (Comelec).
The Sinsuat clan has been ruling the municipality, formerly named “Dinaig” (meaning “unsubmissive) since its creation by President Manuel Roxas 78 years ago.
Now, a first-class municipality of Maguindanao del Norte, Datu Odin Sinsuat has 34 barangays, with Poblacion Dalican as its seat of government. The municipality has the biggest number of registered voters in the province, with over 81,000.
