The former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas who is now running for President was enthroned as a datu by the Sultanate in Lanao del Sur province. The honorary title given to Mar Roxas would help him secure the vital Mindanao vote which is considered as a bailwick by Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
During the acceptance of the Liberal Party standard bearer of his honorary title he acknowledge the problems of insurgency in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), and vowed to work to eradicate the security threat by boosting the local economy.
Mar Roxas was quoted as saying “There can be no peace without development and there can be no development and progress without peace,” Roxas told leaders of the Federation of the Royal Sultanate of Lanao, a group of 16 royal houses formed in 2010.
The Royal Sultanate of Lanao hung a medallion of honor to Mar Roxas neck, and referred on him the Amai Pakpak Award-so named after a Maranao hero-and presented him with a plaque as an adopted son of Lanao.
Here’s a Video Report by TV5:
DATU MAR???~MAR ROXAS, IDINEKLARANG DATU, SULTAN SA LANAO DEL SUR
Posted by Bayan Bangon at Alamin on Tuesday, January 12, 2016