Esmael "Toto" Gaguil Mangudadatu (; born August 15, 1968) is a
Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
politician who previously served as the
representative
Representative may refer to:
Politics
* Representative democracy, type of democracy in which elected officials represent a group of people
* House of Representatives, legislative body in various countries or sub-national entities
* Legislator, som ...
of
Maguindanao
Maguindanao (, Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Prubinsya nu Magindanaw''; Iranun language, Iranun'': Perobinsia a Magindanao''; tl, Lalawigan ng Maguindanao) was a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the ...
's
2nd district from 2019 to 2022. He also served as the governor of Maguindanao from 2010 to 2019. In
Buluan town, he served as the mayor from 1998 to 2007, and vice mayor from 2007 to 2010.
In the 2009
Maguindanao massacre
The Maguindanao massacre, also known as the Ampatuan massacre, named after the town where mass graves of victims were found, occurred on the morning of November 23, 2009, in the town of Ampatuan in then-undivided Maguindanao (which is now Magu ...
, Mangudadatu's family members, aides, lawyers, and supporters, plus several journalists, were kidnapped and murdered while on their way to file Mangudadatu's candidacy for the
gubernatorial elections.
Andal Ampatuan Jr., Mangudadatu's scheduled opponent for the 2010 elections, was charged with the murders. In 2019, Andal Jr. and his brother
Zaldy
Zaldy Goco (born 1966),. "Zaldy, 38"; . "It was early August ..Zaldy was a preternaturally young-looking 48." also known mononymously as Zaldy, is a Filipino-American fashion designer. In 1995, he was featured as a model in a British television ...
, as well as their associates, were convicted of the murders.
Early life
Mangudadatu was born on August 15, 1968, to Pua Mangudadatu, a politician who was president of the "Magnificent 7", a group of influential politicians in the province at the time. His uncle is
Pax Mangudadatu
Hon. Pakung S. Mandudadatu, also known as Sultan Omar Pax Mangudadatu of the Sultanate Royal House of Rajah Buayan, is a Filipino politician who is the provincial governor of Sultan Kudarat since 2016. He also served the same post from 1998 to ...
, incumbent representative of the 1st district of Sultan Kudarat in
Tacurong City
Tacurong, officially the City of Tacurong ( hil, Dakbanwa sang Tacurong; fil, Lungsod ng Tacurong; Maguindanaon: ''Kuta nu Takurung'', Jawi: كوتا نو تاكوروڠ), is a 4th class component city in the province of Sultan Kudarat, Phi ...
.
Seeking to escape political dynasty, Mangudadatu went to University in order to become a doctor. It was there that Mangudadatu met his wife Genalyn, a Hiligaynon Visayan, while they were both students in
Davao City
Davao City, officially the City of Davao ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Dabaw; ), is a first class highly urbanized city in the Davao Region, Philippines. The city has a total land area of , making it the largest city in the Philippines in terms of lan ...
,
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
. They married on November 11, 1991, and had multiple children.
Starting a family after getting married cut his medical studies short but he later earned his political science degree from the
University of Mindanao
The University of Mindanao is a private, non-sectarian university in the southern Philippine island of Mindanao. It is located in Davao City. Established in 1946, the University of Mindanao has ten branches spread over thirteen campuses in So ...
in Davao City.
Political career
Mangudadatu visited the then governor of Maguindanao province, Zacaria Candao, to obtain approval for a new business venture. Instead, Candao, who was also Mangudadatu's godfather, talked him into running for office.
He was a member of Maguindanao's ''
Sangguniang Panlalawigan
Sangguniang Panlalawigan (abbreviated as SP; ), commonly known as the Provincial Board, are the legislatures in Philippine provinces. They are the legislative branches of the provinces, and their powers and responsibilities are defined by the Loca ...
'' (provincial board) from 1995 to 1998. He then became mayor of Buluan from 1998 to 2007. In the 2007 elections, he became vice mayor of Buluan.
In 2009 he decided to challenge the Ampatuan clan's heir apparent in the election for governor of Maguindanao province.
He was instrumental for the proposed creation of a new province to be called as
Maguindanao North, which will be composed of the First Legislative District of
Maguindanao
Maguindanao (, Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Prubinsya nu Magindanaw''; Iranun language, Iranun'': Perobinsia a Magindanao''; tl, Lalawigan ng Maguindanao) was a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the ...
.
Maguindanao massacre
The
Maguindanao massacre
The Maguindanao massacre, also known as the Ampatuan massacre, named after the town where mass graves of victims were found, occurred on the morning of November 23, 2009, in the town of Ampatuan in then-undivided Maguindanao (which is now Magu ...
occurred on the morning of November 23, 2009, in the town of
Ampatuan in
Maguindanao
Maguindanao (, Maguindanao language, Maguindanaon: ''Prubinsya nu Magindanaw''; Iranun language, Iranun'': Perobinsia a Magindanao''; tl, Lalawigan ng Maguindanao) was a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines located in the ...
province, on the island of
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. The victims were about to file a certificate of candidacy for Esmael Mangudadatu. Mangudadatu was challenging
Datu Unsay mayor
Andal Ampatuan Jr., son of the incumbent Maguindanao governor
Andal Ampatuan Sr.
Andal "Andy" Ampatuan Sr. (1940/1941 – July 17, 2015) was a Filipino politician who was the main suspect in the Maguindanao massacre. He was the patriarch of the Ampatuan political family in Maguindanao province, on the island of Mindanao in the ...
, in the forthcoming Maguindanao gubernatorial election,
part of the
national elections in 2010. The 57 people killed included Mangudadatu's wife, two of his sisters, and a cousin, in addition to numerous journalists, lawyers, aides, and motorists who were witnesses or were mistakenly identified as part of the convoy.
Mangudadatu told reporters that his wife was able to call her husband just before she was killed, "She said... they had been stopped by 100 uniformed armed men... then her line got cut off,"
The man thought responsible
Andal Ampatuan Jr. denies that he was responsible and instead blames the
MILF
MILF (, as if read as "milf") is an acronym that stands for "Mother I'd Like to Fuck". This abbreviation is used in colloquial English, instead of the whole phrase. It connotes an older woman considered sexually attractive, typically one who has ...
an armed Islamic group that operates in the Southern Philippines. MILF released a statement denying that it was responsible.
2010 elections
Four days after the massacre, Mangudadatu traveled along the same road where the attack had occurred to successfully file his candidacy in the election.
He ran under the banner of the
Lakas Kampi CMD
Lakas means ''strength'', ''power'' in Tagalog and may refer to:
* Lakas ng Bayan (English: People's Power), a political party in the Philippines
* Lakas–CMD, a political party in the Philippines founded in 2009
* Lakas–CMD (1991), a political ...
party. In the party, Mangudadatu replaced his rivals from the Ampatuan clan who perpetrated the massacre.
[ He won the election and served 9 years as governor.
]
Gaisano Mall shootings
On February 11, 2010, Tamano Kamendan approached Mangudadatu and his entourage at the Gaisano South Citimall in Davao City. An altercation took place and Kamendan was killed by Esmael Mangudadatu's bodyguard. Mangudadatu released a statement that Kamendan was an associate of the Ampatuan clan and that he was trying to kidnap his children. Kamendan's wife denies the Ampatuan connection and has stated in an affidavit that her husband was just shopping when Mangudadatu ordered his men to shoot him. On February 14, 2010, Mangudadatu and his bodyguard were charged with murder.
Tacurong city car bombing
Mangudadatu's convoy on August 15, 2011, was involved in a car bombing incident along a highway in Tacurong city, Sultan Kudarat. Two people were killed, including a Maguindanao board member, while six others were wounded. The bomb exploded while Mangudadatu's convoy was cruising along the highway in Tacurong. The governor and his followers were heading to a restaurant to celebrate his birthday.
The bomb, placed inside an old, white Kia vehicle parked at the side of the road fronting the Cherubim Methodist Learning Center in Alunan Highway, exploded when a Toyota Fortuner, where the provincial board member was on board, passed near it. Mangudadatu was unhurt because his vehicle was bullet-proof.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mangudadatu, Esmael
1968 births
Living people
Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians
Governors of Maguindanao
Mayors of places in Maguindanao
Filipino Muslims
Lakas–CMD politicians
Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Maguindanao
PDP–Laban politicians
People from Maguindanao