Lady Anne Sahidulla, 62, is a politician who describes herself as the princess of the poor, descending from the Sulu royal sultanate but supposedly growing up with very little in the Municipality of Indanan.
She served as mayor of Banguingui, Sulu, from 1998 to 2001, vice governor of the same province from 2004 to 2010 and representative of the 2nd District of Sulu from 2010 to 2013. She sought reelection to the lower house in 2013 but lost. She also chaired the Philippine Red Cross-Sulu Chapter from 2004 to at least 2019.
During her sole term as a lawmaker, Sahidulla principally authored 16 bills, one of which was passed into law. She sought reelection in 2013 but lost.
As Sulu vice governor in 2008, she was part of the crisis team that led negotiations for the release of journalist Ces Drilon and two others who were kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf members and released after a ransom was reportedly paid.
In 2017, Sahidulla and her husband, former Banguingui mayor Abdulwahid Omar Sahidulla, were charged before the Sandiganbayan for failing to declare a 1,500 square meter lot in Zamboanga City and two vehicles in their Joint Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth for 2009, when she was vice governor.
In February 2019, upon the spouses’ change of plea to guilty, the Sandiganbayan convicted them of making misrepresentations in their Joint SALN and perjury. They were sentenced to pay a P5,000 fine and to suffer imprisonment for two months to a year in prison. The office of Sahidulla claims that the spouses served no time in prison.
Sahidulla’s husband served one term as Banguingui mayor from 2010 to 2013. Their son, Whajid “Jhed” Indanan Sahidulla, replaced him and served three consecutive terms. Another son, Whidzfar “Nikee” Indanan Shahidulla, is running for the same position in 2022 under the administration PDP-Laban.
For her 2022 Senate bid, Sahidulla is running under Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan with the party’s other senatorial candidate, former Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission chair and staunch Duterte ally Greco Belgica
Sahidulla has not yet released a formal campaign platform for the 2022 election but vowed in an interview to focus on supporting business and job creation if elected.
The candidate's top priorities if elected to office, tracked against previous promises and accomplishments, if any
Pass laws to:
- Protect employees from being easily dismissed from work
- Remove the working-age limit
- Impose a per-hour wage system, like the US
- On business, consolidate all taxes paid by businesses into a single, flat, equal tax imposed on all businesses regardless of size
- Ensure equal opportunity for all, regardless of religion, gender, educational attainment, especially in employment and business
In her 2019 Senate campaign:
- Was in favor of setting a national minimum wage, replacing the current system of having a wage board for each of the 17 regions
- Promised to author a bill to increase the minimum wage
- Promised to push for a larger budget for livelihood programs and a system to educate the poor on alternative sources of work (such as, farmers taught to do carpentry or electrical work)
- Will author a bill to give job opportunities for people displaced by government reclamation projects in areas where they will be relocated
Promotes unification of muslims and non-muslims
In her 2019 Senate campaign, she supported unification of Muslims and non-Muslims
She cited her work in public office as well as with the Red Cross, includer her involvement in negotiations with kidnappers
The candidate's top five accomplishments and contributions for the last 15 years or so
Public Office
Sahidulla was Banguingui mayor for two consecutive terms from 1998 to 2004. She won two terms as vice governor, in 2004 and 2007. Her husband, Abdulwahid Omar Sahidulla, was elected Banguingui mayor in 2010.
As then-Sulu vice governor, Sahidulla was part of the crisis team that led negotiations for the release of journalist Ces Drilon and two others in June 2008, who were kidnapped by Abu Sayyaf members and released after a ransom was reportedly paid by private entities.
Sahidulla was involved in another kidnapping negotiation in 2009. She was accused of having “aided” or “abetted” the Abu Sayyaf group when she admitted to paying them P50,000 in “goodwill money” for the release of three International Committee on the Red Cross workers it held hostage in July 2009.
Then-Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro asked the justice department to investigate Sahidulla for violation of the government’s no ransom policy; other lawmakers, such as Red Cross chairman and senator Richard Gordon, came to her defense. Sahidulla denied that she paid the money to aid the bandits, stating that she was acting motherly in giving them money when told that supplies were running out, all in a bid to convince them to renounce their criminal activities. Later, the DOJ left the investigation to the Philippine National Police. No charges were filed against Sahidulla.
In 2010, she ran to represent the 6th District of Sulu. In her sole term as a lawmaker in the lower chamber, she principally authored 16 bills, one of which was passed into law.
In February 2019, the Sahidulla spouses pled guilty to and were convicted by the Sandiganbayan for perjury and failing to declare a 1,500 square meter lot in Zamboanga City and two vehicles in their Joint SALN for 2009, when Sahidulla was vice governor. They were sentenced to pay a P5,000 fine and to suffer imprisonment for two months to a year in prison, but reportedly did not serve time in prison.
For three consecutive terms from 2013 to 2022, their son, Whajid “Jhed” Indanan Sahidulla, was elected mayor of Banguingui. Another son, Whidzfar “Nikee” Indanan Shahidulla, is running for mayor in 2022.
For her 2022 Senate bid, Sahidulla is running under Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan with the party’s other senatorial candidate, former Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission chair and staunch Duterte ally Greco Belgica
Legislative accomplishments
Principal Author, 2012
Approved by the president on Sept. 26, 2013
Executive Branch Accomplishments
As Sulu vice governor, 2008 and 2009
Private Sector
2004 to at least 2019
Actions and/or proceedings pending against or resolved in courts or tribunals involving the candidate, based on publicly available information
Resolved Actions and/or Proceedings
| Subject Matter | Relevant Dates | Accrued Liability | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Misdeclaration in Joint SALN and Perjury
Sahidulla and husband, former Banguingui mayor Abdulwahid Omar Sahidulla, were charged for failing to declare a 1,500 square meter lot in Zamboanga City and two vehicles in their Joint Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth for 2009 and falsifying a sworn statement required to be filed under law Sahidulla initially claimed that she was being politicized; she was running in the 2019 Senate election |
Charges ordered filed by the Office of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan in December 2017
Two criminal cases were filed before the Sandiganbayan on Jan. 24, 2018 Sahidulla spouses initially pleaded not guilty Sahidulla spouses moved to withdraw such initial pleas, and with leave of court, pled guilty to all charges on Feb. 12, 2019 |
Payment of a P5,000 fine and imprisonment for two months to a year in prison | Sandiganbayan decision finding the Sahidulla spouses guilty issued on Feb. 12, 2009 |
Also known as SALN, this document is a declaration of one's personal finances. Philippine Law requires the SALN to be submitted by all public officials and employees to the Ombudsman. Public officials and employees may opt to voluntarily disclose their SALN to the public.
Key details about the candidate's campaign
Candidate's major donors and campaign funding sources
The candidate's top advocacies in the last 15 years or so
Criticism arose about the group's intent to act as a paramilitary force on behalf of the president and to ensure his political survival in the face of mounting investigations into the president's hidden ill-gotten wealth, legal and human rights violations in the war against illegal drugs and the involvement of his son Paolo Duterte in smuggling of illegal drugs; the group was also criticized for equating political dissenters as destabilizers and identifying five main groups as "enemies of the state" that are attempting to effect regime change
Position/Date: President, 2017-2018
Status: CNG effectively merged with KDP, which was formed and accredited as a national political party by the Comelec in 2018. KDP touted itself as an independent party, pledging to usher in alternatives to what they considered as same old corrupt politicians while also expressing support for President Duterte
Position/Date: Founder, 1995
Basic information on the candidate's family, background and work experience
- Omar Suhaili, father
- Sitti Rashidam Indanan, mother
- Delna Indanan-Hassan
- Hja. Nurwiza “Twinkle” Sahidulla-Tulawie
- Hji. Abdelwasey “Nikee” Indanan Sahidulla
- Hji. Mohammad Whajid “Jhed” Indanan Sahidulla
- Hja. Nurwina Christine “Winnie” Indanan Sahidulla
• Masters in Development and Governance, University of Makati
• BA Mass Communication, Western Mindanao State University, 1988
• Bachelor of Science in Commerce, Zamboanga Arturo Eustaquio College, 1980
• President, Citizen National Guard, 2017-2018
• Representative of the 2nd District of Sulu, 2010-2013
• Vice Governor, Sulu, 2004-2007, 2007-2010
• Chairperson, Philippine National Red Cross-Sulu Chapter, 2004-at least 2019
• Mayor, Banguingui, Sulu, 1998-2001, 2001-2003
