IT WILL be an electoral contest among relatives for top elected position of Basilan province and of Isabela City, the province's capital, come May 2025 midterm elections.
Incumbent Basilan Representative Mujiv Hataman filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for governor on Monday, October 7, 2024, under the Basilan Unity Party-Liberal Party (BUP-LP), three days after his nephew, Jimael Salam Hataman-Salliman, currently serving as Second District board member, filed his COC for governor under the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP).
Salliman is the son of Governor Hadjiman Hataman-Salliman, the elder brother of the congressman.
The governor filed his COC for vice governor on Friday, October 4, together with his son, Jimael Salam.
Hataman said the political contest among relatives is not new since this is happening in other parts of the country.
"It's just an election. So let our province mates choose who they like," Hataman said in an interview.
"This is not very complicated for us. This is a very temporary situation for all of us," he added, citing they talked each other whenever they met or crossed path.
He appealed to his supporters to choose who they like to serve Basilan province based on platforms and not on issues.
Isabela City Mayor Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman accompanied her husband in filing COC before the Basilan Provincial Election Office.
"We respect the right to vote and to be voted. All of us have the right to run for public office," Salliman said in an earlier interview.
Hataman was joined by his running mate, vice gubernatorial candidate Alzad Sattar, a well-respected scholar and religious leader in Basilan province.
Mayor Hanie Bud of Maluso town also filed his COC, seeking to succeed Hataman as Basilan's congressman.
Hataman said he will continue his programs on health, livelihood, peace and order and transparency in governance once given the opportunity to serve as the governor of Basilan province.
He is currently serving his second term as the representative of the lone district of Basilan province, advocating for several key legislative measures in both the 18th and 19th Congresses focused on peace, development and human rights, particularly for Mindanao and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Hataman accompanied his wife, Sitti Djalia, to file her COC for mayor before the City Election Office at the Isabela City government compound in Barangay Sunrise.
Sitti Djalia is seeking reelection for a third term as mayor of Isabela City, the capital of Basilan province. Her running mate is Councilor Ar-Jhemar Ajibon.
His opponent, Isabela City Vice Mayor Kifli Hataman-Salliman, filed his COC for mayor on October 3.
Vice Mayor Salliman is the son of the current governor of Basilan province.
"It's difficult. Actually we didn't expect it to get to this point, but of course we respect his rights, he has the right to run for a public office," she said in an interview. (SunStar Zamboanga)