DAVAO CITY – Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Secretary Suharto "Datu Teng" Mangudadatu will step down from his post effective July 31 to prepare for the 2025 local elections.
MANGUDADATU (Photo via Keith Bacongco)
In a statement released to the media, Mangudadatu emphasized that he remains supportive of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. even as he has left his post.
"This commitment is rooted in our shared belief in the vision of a united and prosperous Philippines. We will continue to be active partners in achieving this goal," he added.
Mangudadatu, the husband of Maguindanao del Sur Gov. Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu, assumed the TESDA post in June 2023.
Without specifying a post, Mangudadatu admitted that he will participate in the upcoming local elections.
"I believe that my experience and expertise in governance, coupled with my understanding of the region's needs, will be best utilized by actively participating in the electoral process."
While he did not elaborate on where he would be seeking a post in next year's elections, reports suggest that Mangudadatu will reportedly challenge incumbent Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Abdulraof Macacua.
Reports also circulated that Mangudadatu will represent his party and challenge Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) interim Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, also known as Al-Hadj Murad.
Last month, Magundadatu, who founded the Al-Ittihad UKB party, forged an alliance with other political parties in the BARMM known as the Bangsamoro Grand Coalition (BGC).
The coalition, which is set to challenge the United Bangsamoro Justice Party, is composed of political parties organized by prominent political clans coming from different provinces and political groups in the region.
BGC endorsed Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan as Salaam Party representative in the BARMM parliament elections next year.
Mangudadatu belongs to one of the most formidable political clans in Central Mindanao. He is a son of former Sultan Kudarat Gov. Datu Pax Mangudadatu.
Before he rose into the highest position of his home province, Mangudadatu was mayor of Lutayan town in Sultan Kudarat for two terms from 1998 to 2004.
He was elected governor of Sultan Kudarat from 2007 to 2016 and again from 2019 to 2022. From 2016 to 2019, he was elected as first district representative of the province.
Secretary Mangudadatu did not seek any political position in the 2022 elections. His son, Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu, was elected as governor of Sultan Kudarat.
"I am grateful for the trust and confidence that President Marcos Jr. and the Filipino people have placed in me as Secretary of TESDA. I am proud of the agency's achievements and I am confident that it will continue to make a positive impact on the lives of Filipinos," Secretary Mangudadatu said.