THE Mindanao State University (MSU) community is mourning the sudden and untimely passing of its System President, lawyer Basari Dimakuta Mapupuno, who died early Tuesday morning, May 27, 2025, reportedly due to cardiac arrest.
The 60-year-old academic leader was rushed to the Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi City, where he was later pronounced dead, according to a message shared within his fraternity circle, Alpha Phi Omega (APO).
In an official statement, the MSU community expressed deep sorrow over its loss, calling President Mapupuno “a beacon of hope, compassion, and vision” who led the University System with “courage and wisdom during a time beset with great challenges and transitions.”
“This is a sudden, profound, and immeasurable loss for the entire MSU System,” the statement read. “His legacy is deeply etched not only in the achievements and reforms he championed, but in the lives he touched and the communities he served.”
As a sign of collective mourning, MSU ordered all campus flags to be flown at half-mast and called on its constituents to observe a moment of silence and prayer for the late president.
Lawyer Mapupuno was appointed as the 8th President of the MSU System in March 2022, with his appointment signed by then-President Rodrigo Duterte. He officially assumed the role in June of the same year.
Born on March 23, 1964, Mapupuno was widely respected in the legal and academic communities. He served as the longest-tenured Dean of the MSU College of Law (1998–2008) and held the position of President of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines–Marawi City and Lanao del Sur chapter.
Outside academia, he was the reigning Sultan of Malaig in Balindong, Lanao del Sur, and a first cousin to veteran politician Abdullah Dimakuta-Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte.
Throughout his presidency, Mapupuno was known for his 10-point agenda that emphasized academic excellence, research, peacebuilding, international collaboration, and cultural heritage preservation.
“We, the MSU family—faculty, staff, students, alumni, and stakeholders—grieve together, united in sorrow and bound in immense gratitude for the time we were blessed with his leadership,” the university said in its statement. “His life was devoted to service, knowledge, and peace.”
Funeral arrangements and official memorial services are expected to be announced in the coming days. DEF
