Ampatuan ally overtakes Toto Mangudadatu in Maguindanao gubernatorial race

A known ally of the powerful Ampatuan clan has overtaken Buluan vice mayor Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu in the gubernatorial race in Maguindanao. Based on partial and unofficial tally of the provincial board of canvassers, Datu Ombra Sinsuat currently holds the top spot with 122,694 votes from transmitted election returns from 27 of the the province's 36 towns. Mangudadatu, whose wife and relatives were victims in the Maguindanao massacre in November last year, slid down to the second spot with 115,100 votes. GMA Network's partial tally of transmitted election returns earlier showed Mangudadatu on top. However, the provincial canvassers' count as of Wednesday night showed Sinsuat ahead of Mangudadatu, 124,344 and 108,880, respectively. Mangudadatu's slain relatives were supposed to file his certificate of candidacy in Ampatuan town when they were reportedly blocked on the road by the Ampatuans and their armed supporters. Mangudadatu’s candidacy was unprecedented because he would be challenging the powerful Ampatuan clan, which was earlier grooming Datu Unsay mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. as a gubernatorial candidate. But after the massacre, Andal Jr. ended up behind bars when he was identified as the prime suspect in the crime. Andal Sr. In the vice gubernatorial derby, partial results of the provincial canvassing showed clan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr. slipping to the second spot with over 126,000 votes. GMA's partial count earlier showed him on top of the list. He was overtaken in the first place by Mangudadatu's runningmate Ismael Mastura. Andal Sr., Andal Jr., and four other clan members were all charged with multiple murder in connection with the massacre. The six Ampatuans are currently detained at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. GMA's partial tally also showed Rep. Didagen Dilangalen (65,515 votes), father-in-law of Andal Sr.'s daughter, trailing Bai Sandra Sema (109,362 votes), wife of incumbent Cotabato City mayor Muslimin Sema. Rep. Simeon Datumanong, a relative of the multiple murder suspects and is running unopposed for a gubernatorial seat in the province's second district, currently has 99,116 votes, based on GMA's partial count. There had already been reports of vote-buying and pre-shading of ballots in Maguindanao, considered an election hot spot. [See: Long lines, pre-shaded ballots hound 2010 polls, observers say] - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV