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Friday, December 07, 2007
Ex-guv dies in car accident
By Lino Dela Cruz
Iligan Correspondent
MARAWI CITY -- Former Lanao del Sur governor Dr. Mahid Mutilan died in a car accident at past 5 a.m. Thursday, according to officials.
Diamael Lucman, former president of Mindanao State University, said he received a text message about Mutilan’s accident early Thursday morning from those who accompanied the former governor on his way to Cagayan de Oro City airport in Barangay Lumbia from Marawi City.
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Mutilan was supposed to catch an early flight to Manila.
The maroon Toyota Revo vehicle of Mutilan figured in an accident along the highway in the town of Gitagum, Misamis Oriental.
According to reports, the vehicle tried to overtake a motorela but Mutilan’s driver -- Hasan Miraato -- lost control.
Mutilan died at a hospital in Cagayan de Oro City while Miraato is still in a critical condition as of this writing Thursday.
Mutilan, who was accompanied by Government chief peace negotiator Secretary Jesus Dureza, was immediately brought to a hospital in Cagayan de Oro City but was pronounced by doctors as dead on arrival.
His driver Miraato is still in critical condition as of this writing Thursday.
It is still not known Thursday whether Dureza was riding in the same vehicle with Mutilan or if the secretary was hurt in the accident.
Dureza said: “Mutilan was a man of peace in fact a giant in our peace and development advocacy in Mindanao."
The remains of Mutilan were brought to his Marawi City residence by mid-day via a government helicopter. He was buried in his hometown in Tamparan, Lanao del Sur Thursday afternoon.
Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong Jr., Lanao del Norte 2nd District Representative Abdullah Dimaporo, and other leaders of Lanao del Sur as well as relatives of Mutilan immediately arrived in Cagayan de Oro City after receiving reports of the former governor's death.
Mutilan served for three terms as governor of Lanao del Sur before he served as vice governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) and concurrent Armm Department of Education secretary.
Mutilan was president of the Ulama League of the Philippines and co-convener of the Bishop-Ulama Conference of the Philippines. He was a religious leader who studied in the University of Cairo, Egypt, before he entered politics.
Peace advocates and non-government organizations in Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Marawi City, and Iligan City, which concluded last Wednesday the celebration of the "Mindanao Week of Peace," said Mutilan's death is a great loss to the peace movement in Mindanao. (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro/With BOT and MCM of Sun.Star Davao)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (December 7, 2007 issue)
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