Muslimin Gampong Sema, also known as Mus Sema, is a Filipino politician who has been a former Mayor and Vice Mayor of Cotabato City.
Education
He finished his elementary grade at Sero Elementary School in Cotabato and his secondary school years at Cotabato High School. In 1965, he was sent to Pennsylvania, U.S.A., 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.
Career
In 1969, he worked as technical assistant of the Student's Affairs of the Commission on National Integration. From 1979 to 1989, he was the State Chairman of the Utara Kutawato State Revolutionary Committee after which he became Secretary General of the Moro National Liberation Front. In 1996, he was appointed as the Executive Secretary of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. 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., U.S.A as a delegate representing the ARMM. In February 1998, he became the Executive Director of the Southern Philippines Council for Peace and Development. He was elected as city mayor of Cotabato in 1998 and was re-elected in 2001, 2004 and during May 2007 Elections. In 2008, he was elected by the Central Committee of the MNLF as their new Chairman. Muslimin G. Sema served as Cotabato City Vice Mayor 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. In 2017, Sema stepped down as MNLF Chairman and Former Sulu Governor Yusoph Jikiri succeeded him as the Chairman.
Personal life
Muslimin Sema has 12 children. He is married to Bai Sandra S.A. Sema, currently the Congressional Representative for the First District of Maguindanao.
