Datu Pakung "Pax" Mangudadatu

Hon. Pakung S. Mandudadatu also known as Pax Mangudadatu is the newly elected Representative of the 1st district of Sultan Kudarat with Tacurong City under the administration's Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) party.

He was born in Buluan, Cotabato (now Buluan, Maguindanao). He served as municipal mayor of Lutayan before he ran for governor of the province in 1998. During his campaign for governor, he and Rep. Angelo Montilla created the SK UNA political party. He defeated Sultan Kudarat Vice Gov. Rose Jamison for governor of the province and making history as the first Muslim governor of the Christian-dominated province. He served as provincial governor for nine years from 1998-2007. During his campaign for his last term as governor last 2004, he was challenged by his ally Rep. Angelo Montilla who he defeated. He was reelected as governor and his son, Mayor Suharto Mangudadatu of Lutayan won the lone district congressional race.

Last May 14, 2007, he was elected as representative of the first district of the province over his rival Angelo Montilla. Again, he made history for being the first representative of the first district of the province; While his son, Rep. Suharto Mangudadatu, succeeded him as provincial governor.

Datu Zaldy Ampatuan

Zaldy Ampatuan (born August 22, 1967) is the Governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and was elected on August 8, 2005. He is former chairman of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats for ARMM, but was ejected when his brother, Andal Ampatuan Jr., was accused of carrying out the Maguindanao massacre. He is one of the sons of Andal Ampatuan Sr., head of the powerful Ampatuan family political clan in Maguindanao province.

On December 8, 2007, P1,000 bills rained at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) when 2 Mindanao governors played Santa Claus. Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan and his father Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan distributed the bills near the VIP lounge, before a 5:20 p.m. flight for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for “30 to 40 minutes."

Datu Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu

Esmael “Toto" Mangudadatu is the Vice Mayor of Buluan, Maguindanao, in the Philippines. Mangudadatu is a candidate in the 2010 general elections for governor of Maguindanao. The race came to international attention after the Maguindanao massacre during which men from a rival clan kidnapped and murdered his wife, sisters, aides, and lawyers, plus several journalists.

Four days after the massacre, Mangudadatu traveled along the same road where the attack had occurred to successfully file his candidacy in the election.

Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr.

Andal Ampatuan, Jr. is the current mayor Datu Unsay, Maguindanao. A member of the powerful Ampatuan political family in Maguindanao province, on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines, his father, Andal Ampatuan, Sr., is governor of the province and patriarch of the family. His brother, Zaldy Ampatuan, is the regional governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Ampatuan came to international attention in November 2009 as a result of the Maguindanao massacre. He was to run for governor of the province against Esmael Mangudadatu in the 2010 elections. However, Mangudadatu's female relatives and a group of journalists were ambushed and killed in the massacre, and Ampatuan Jr. quickly became the prime suspect. A member of the ruling Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, he and his father and brother were expelled by party chairman Gilberto Teodoro due to the massacre. He surrendered to Filipino authorities and was charged with murder. He has denied any involvement, though several witnesses have gone on record stating that they saw him at the scene of the crime.

Datu Andal Ampatuan Sr.

Andal Ampatuan, Sr. is the patriarch of the powerful Ampatuan political family in Maguindanao province, on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. He is the governor of the province.

Ampatuan first came into prominence when President Corazon Aquino appointed him as officer-in-charge of Maganoy (now Shariff Aquak) in 1986, right after the People Power Revolution. Aquino, having come into power via revolutionary means, replaced every locally-elected official with officers-in-charge. The town of Maganoy was approached differently; the ageing mayor, Pinagayaw Ampatuan, was replaced by his vice mayor, Andal Sr. He won the 1988 local elections, then served for ten years. In the 1998 elections, Andal Sr. was elected as governor.

Ampatuan's sons, Zaldy Ampatuan and Andal Ampatuan, Jr., are both members of his political clan. Andal Ampatuan Jr. came to international attention in November 2009 as the prime suspect in the Maguindanao massacre. As a result, all three Ampatuans were expelled from President Gloria Arroyo's Lakas Kampi CMD political party.