Duterte to Visit Maguindanao Friday

Cotabato City — President Rodrigo Duterte will visit Maguindanao on Friday, for a dialogue with local officials, Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu announced Monday.

Mangudadatu said the visit was officially confirmed by President Duterte during his brief private meeting with the first Mindanaon president in Davao City.

“Preparations are underway, we will have a very warm reception program for the President’s first provincial sortie in Maguindanao,” he added.

While in the province, Mangudadatu said Duterte will meet with all the elected local officials and spearhead the symbolic launching of a 4.5 megawatt “bio-mass” renewable energy plant in Buluan.

“President Digong would like to personally see the facility and observe how it will operate using non-petroleum fuel,” he added.

The power plant was repeatedly tested last week using biodegradable fuels collected from nearby oil palm and coconut plantations in Buluan.

Mangudadatu said all the town mayors of Maguindanao, including the provincial officials are behind President Duterte’s campaign against illegal drugs.

Last May elections, Duterte won overwhelmingly in Maguindanao with 222,894 votes as against his closest rival Mar Roxas who only had 97,538 votes.

Maguindanao was a known “Liberal Party country,” where all the elected officials belonging to LP, including Mangudadatu.

Datu Ibrahim Mangudadatu, Gov. Mangudadatu’s younger brother, the former mayor of Buluan, was Duterte’s campaign manager.

“We have prepared simple welcome program, not lavish reception because the President does not like luxurious preparations in his visit,” Mangudadatu said. (PNA) RMA/NYP/EOF