Sheikh Khalipha Usman Nando[a] (Arabic: ا لشيخ خليفة عثمان ناندو;[3] 1940/1941 – February 5, 2023) was the first Wa'lī of Bangsamoro, and one of the co-founders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

His Eminence Sheikh
Khalipha Nando
خليفة ناندو
Wa'lī of Bangsamoro
In office
March 29, 2019 – February 5, 2023
Appointed byBangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament
Chief MinisterMurad Ebrahim
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byOmarkhalid Ampatuan (OIC)
Personal details
Born1941 or 1942
Died(2023-02-05)February 5, 2023 (aged 81)
Davao City, Philippines
Resting placePandag, Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines
EducationAl-Azhar University
Military service
Allegiance Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)

Education edit

Nando attended the Madrasah Al-Rasheedah in his native Pandag, which was then part of the town of Buluan in the Empire Province of Cotabato. He would secure a diplomatic scholarship to study at Al-Azhar University.[3] Nando studied at the institution in Cairo, Egypt in the early 1960s.[4]

Moro Islamic Liberation Front edit

Khalipha Usman Nando was one of the co-founders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) along with Salamat Hashim and Abu Hurayra; the former being Nando's schoolmate and associate at Al-Azhar. As part of the MILF, Nando served under various capacities including as chairman of the MILF Central Committee on Education, chairman of Majlis Al-Shura (Consultative Assembly) and as head of the MILF Sharia Supreme Court.[5]

Wa'lī of Bangsamoro edit

Nando, was appointed the first Wa'lī of the newly constituted Bangsamoro autonomous region by the interim Bangsamoro Parliament on March 29, 2019, during the inaugural session of the first interim meeting.[6][1] He would likewise open the inaugural session of the second interim Parliament on September 15, 2022.[7]

His last public appearance prior to his death was on January 25, 2023, for the fourth anniversary of the establishment of the Bangsamoro autonomous region, as well as the turnover ceremony of facilities for orphans and a grand mosque in Matanog.[8]

Death edit

Nando died in a hospital in Davao on February 5, 2023, at the age of 81.[4] His body was buried at his residence in Pandag, Maguindanao del Sur.[9]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Official communications and documents from the Bangsamoro Parliament uses "Khalipha,"[1] though the name has been alternatively spelled "Khalifa."[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Resolution No. 1" (PDF). Bangsamoro Parliament. Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament. March 29, 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 29, 2021. Retrieved February 15, 2022.
  2. ^ Arguilas, Carolyn (March 30, 2019). "Bangsamoro Transition Authority elects officials; Balindong is Speaker". MindaNews. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Wali Profile" (in English and Arabic). Office of the Wālī of Bangsamoro. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Maulana, Nash (February 6, 2023). "Bangsamoro 'Wali' dies, 81". NDCB News. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  5. ^ Lantong, Abdul (January 2015). "The Bangsamoro Armed Resistance in Southern Philippines: The Role of Shaykh Salamat Hashim and his Views on Peace and War in Islam". International Islamic University Malaysia. Retrieved July 7, 2020.[dead link]
  6. ^ Ropero, Gillan (March 29, 2019). "'My happiness is real': Duterte grateful for creation of Bangsamoro region". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved March 30, 2019.
  7. ^ "Bangsamoro Parliament holds inaugural session". Bangsamoro Parliament. Retrieved September 16, 2022.
  8. ^ Cabrera, Ferdinandh (February 6, 2023). "Bangsamoro mourns death of first Wali". MindaNews. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  9. ^ "Sheikh Khalifa Nando, BARMM's first Wali, dies". Rappler. February 6, 2023. Retrieved February 6, 2023.