Lady Anne Sahidulla 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.
“Ang priority ko kapag ako ay nanalo ay ang business and job generations. Alam naman natin na mahirap ang mga tao ngayon dahil sa pandemic na ito. Pangalawa, equal opportunities to all na kahit high school graduate ay puwedeng maghanapbuhay. Pangatlo, promote tourism.”
NUR-ANA “LADY ANNE” INDANAN SAHIDULLA
Full Name: Nur-Ana Indanan Sahidulla
Birthdate: September 21, 1959 (Age 65)
Birthplace: Pasil, Indanan, Sulu
Residence: Dungon, Tongkil, Sulu
Religion: Muslim
Languages Spoken: Filipino; English
Parents:
– Omar Suhaili, father
– Sitti Rashidam Indanan, mother
Siblings:
– Delna Indanan-Hassan
Spouse: Abdulwahid O. Sahdulla, former mayor of Banguingui
Children:
– Hja. Nurwiza “Twinkle” Sahidulla-Tulawie
– Hji. Abdelwasey “Nikee” Indanan Sahidulla
– Hji. Mohammad Whajid “Jhed” Indanan Sahidulla
– Hja. Nurwina Christine “Winnie” Indanan Sahidulla
EDUCATION
- 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
WORK EXPERIENCE
- 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
MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
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
