Muslimin Sema
{{Short description|Filipino politician}}
{{BLP sources|date=November 2019}}
{{use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Muslimin Sema
| image = MOLE minister Muslimin Sema (cropped).jpg
| office = Bangsamoro Minister of Labor and Employment
| term_start = March 8, 2022
| term_end =
| predecessor = Romeo Sema
| successor =
| office1 = Mayor of Cotabato City
| term_start1 = June 30, 2007
| term_end1 = June 30, 2010
| predecessor1 =
| successor1 = Japal Guiani
| office2 = Vice Mayor of Cotabato City
| term_start2 = June 30, 2010
| term_end2 = June 30, 2013
| predecessor2 = Japal Guiani
| successor2 = Abdullah Andang
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1949|4|27}}
| birth_place = Cotabato City, Philippines
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Nacionalista (2018–present){{cite web |title=Certified List of Candidates (Provincial) - ARMM - Maguindanao |url=https://comelec.gov.ph/php-tpls-attachments/2019NLE/ListsOfCandidates/TentativeListsofCandidates/LOCAL/ARMM/MAGUINDANAO.pdf |publisher=Commission on Elections |access-date=12 March 2022 |page=3|date=2019}}
BAPA (2022–present)
| otherparty = Liberal (2012–2018)
NPC (2009–2012)
Lakas-CMD (2007–2009)
| residence = Cotabato City
| alma_mater = National University
| website =
| module = {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
| allegiance = {{flagicon image|MNLF flag.svg}} MNLF EC-15
| serviceyears = 1970s –
}}
| caption =
}}
Muslimin Gampong Sema (born April 27, 1949), also known as Mus Sema, is a Filipino politician who is the current minister of labor and employment of the Bangsamoro autonomous region, Philippines since March 8, 2022. He has also been the former mayor of Cotabato City and a member of the Moro National Liberation Front.
Education
Sema finished his elementary grade at Sero Elementary School (1957-1963) in Cotabato and his secondary school years at Cotabato High School (1963-1967). In 1965, he was sent to Pennsylvania, United States as part of a summer student program.
He took up geodetic engineering at the National University from 1967 to 1970. In college, he started joining organizations where he could express his political views like the Philippine Muslim Nationalist League. He was one of the founding members of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
Career
File:080916-KARL6.jpg Jesus Dureza (right). 2016]]
In 1969, Sema worked as technical assistant of the Student's Affairs of the Commission on National Integration (CNI).
From 1979 to 1989, he was the state chairman of the Utara Kutawato State Revolutionary Committee after which he became secretary general of the MNLF.
In 1996, he was appointed as the executive secretary of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). He attended numerous local and international conferences including the Pledging Session Conference in Paris, France and to the Technical Discussion Meeting of the Department of Finance-World Bank in Washington D.C., United States as a delegate representing the ARMM.
In February 1998, he became the executive director of the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development (SPCPD).
He was elected as city mayor of Cotabato in 1998 and was re-elected in 2001, 2004 and during the May 2007 elections. In 2008, he was elected by the Central Committee of the MNLF as their new chairman. Sema served as vice mayor of Cotabato City and presiding officer of the Sangguniang Panlungsod from 2010 up to 2013. He lost to Japal Guiani while running for mayor in the 2013 and 2016 elections respectively both under the Liberal Party.{{Cite web|url=http://election-results.rappler.com/2013/armm/maguindanao/cotabato-city|title=2013 Election Results: Cotabato City, Maguindanao {{!}} Comelec Live Data {{!}} Philippine National and Local Elections|website=election-results.rappler.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130715234852/http://election-results.rappler.com/2013/armm/maguindanao/cotabato-city|archive-date=15 July 2013|language=en|access-date=2018-10-07}}{{Cite web|url=https://ph.rappler.com/elections/2016/results/philippines/ARMM/Maguindanao/Cotabato-City/position/8081/mayor?image=1&title=2016%20Election%20Results:%20Mayor,%20Cotabato%20City&desc=2016%20Election%20Results:%20Mayor,%20Cotabato%20City|title=2016 Election Results: Mayor, Cotabato City|website=ph.rappler.com|access-date=2018-10-07}}
In 2017, Sema stepped down as MNLF chairman, and former Sulu governor Yusop Jikiri succeeded him as chairman.{{Cite news|url=http://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2017/02/sema-steps-down-as-mnlf-chair-jikiri-takes-over/|title=Sema steps down as MNLF chair; Jikiri takes over|last=Arguillas|first=Carolyn O.|work=MindaNews|access-date=2018-10-07|language=en-US}}
In the 2019 elections, Sema under the Nacionalista banner made a failed bid to get elected as Maguindanao's 1st district representative losing to Roonie Sinsuat Sr.{{cite news |title=#PHVote 2019: Local races for Maguindanao |url=https://ph.rappler.com/elections/2019/local/region/ARMM/MAGUINDANAO/ |access-date=12 March 2022 |work=Rappler |date=22 May 2019 |language=en}}
Following Jikiri's death in 2020,{{cite news |title=MNLF leader Yusop Jikiri, 'strong' pillar of Bangsamoro peace process, dies |url=https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/10/19/2050714/mnlf-leader-yusop-jikiri-strong-pillar-bangsamoro-peace-process-dies |access-date=13 March 2021 |agency=The Philippine Star |date=October 19, 2020}}{{cite news |title=MNLF leader Jikiri passes away |url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/18/20/mnlf-leader-jikiri-passes-away |access-date=13 March 2021 |agency=ABS-CBN News |date=October 18, 2020}} Sema was re-elected as MNLF chairman.{{cite news |last1=Madale |first1=Asangan |title=Sema new MNLF chairman |url=https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/11/15/news/regions/sema-new-mnlf-chairman/796543/ |access-date=13 March 2021 |agency=The Manila Times |publisher=The Manila Times |date=November 15, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Fernandez |first1=Edwin |title=Reelected MNLF chair vows for peace collaboration in BARMM |url=https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1121920 |access-date=13 March 2021 |agency=Philippine News Agency |publisher=Philippine News Agency |date=November 16, 2020}}
The MNLF, under Sema, launched on January 8, 2022, the Bangsamoro Party (BAPA) – the group's own political party.{{cite news |last1=Jannaral |first1=Julmunir |title=MNLF forms first political party |url=https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/01/10/news/regions/mnlf-forms-first-political-party/1828759 |access-date=12 March 2022 |work=The Manila Times |date=10 January 2022 |language=en}}
On March 8, 2022, Sema was appointed to head the Ministry of Labor and Employment of the Bangsamoro regional government under Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim, succeeding his nephew, Romeo.{{cite news |last1=Unson |first1=John |title=MNLF chairman now BARMM’s labor minister |url=https://www.philstar.com/nation/2022/03/12/2166818/mnlf-chairman-now-barmms-labor-minister |access-date=12 March 2022 |work=The Philippine Star |date=12 March 2022}}
Personal life
Muslimin Sema has 12 children. He is married to Bai Sandra S.A. Sema, formerly the congressional representative for the First District of Maguindanao.{{citation needed|date=March 2022}} Sema is also an ethnic Maguindanaon.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Southern Philippines Insurgency}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sema, Mus}}
Category:People from Cotabato City
Category:National University (Philippines) alumni
Category:Liberal Party (Philippines) politicians