Ulbert Ulama Tugung
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Ulbert Ulama “Bob” Tugung (November 10, 1939 – November 22, 1986) was a Filipino teacher, newsman, and politician. He served as Chairman of the Lupong Tagapagpaganap ng Pook (LTP) of Autonomous Region IX in
Mindanao Mindanao ( ) is the List of islands of the Philippines, second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and List of islands by population, seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the ...
from 1979 until his assassination in 1986.


Early life and education

Ulama was born on November 10, 1939, in
Bongao Bongao, officially the Municipality of Bongao (), is a municipality and capital of the province of Tawi-Tawi, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 116,118 people. History Evidence of human presence in Bongao w ...
,
Sulu Sulu (), officially the Province of Sulu (Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Wilaya' sin Lupa' Sūg''; ), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines in the Sulu Archipelago. It was part of the Bangsamoro, Bangsamoro Autonomous R ...
(now
Tawi-Tawi Tawi-Tawi, officially the Province of Tawi-Tawi ( Tausug: ''Wilaya' sin Tawi-Tawi''; Sinama: ''Jawi Jawi/Jauih Jauih''; ), is an island province in the Philippines located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The capit ...
) to Hadji Pangalampas Tugung and Hadja Naradja. He graduated valedictorian at Tubig-Indanan Elementary School (now Panglima Ibrahim Elementary School) in
Simunul Simunul, officially the Municipality of Simunul (), is a municipality in the province of Tawi-Tawi, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 34,245 people. The majority of the people living here are Muslims. Geography T ...
then went to Notre Dame of Bongao for high school.  He obtained his law degree from the Zamboanga A.E. Colleges (now
Universidad de Zamboanga The Universidad de Zamboanga (often abbreviated to UZ) is a private university founded in Zamboanga City Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (; ; Subanen languages, Subanen: ''Bagbenwa Sembwangan''; Sama–Bajaw languages, Sam ...
) in Zamboanga City. Fresh out of college, he ran for mayor at the age of 23 in the 1961 local elections in Bongao but did not succeed. The following year, he married Elnorita Pamaran of Lamitan,
Basilan Basilan, officially the Province of Basilan (; ; ; ), is an island province of the Philippines located primarily in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. Basilan Island is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago ...
. They both became school teachers at Claret College of Isabela. From 1968 to 1973, he was publisher of the Basilan Newsweek. 


Career

In 1970, Ulama was elected municipal councilor of
Basilan Basilan, officially the Province of Basilan (; ; ; ), is an island province of the Philippines located primarily in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. Basilan Island is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago ...
when he ran as the lone opposition candidate against the slate of former mayor Leroy Brown. At the height of the Muslim secessionist movement led by the
Moro National Liberation Front The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF; ) is a political organization in the Philippines that was founded in 1972. It started as a splinter group of the Muslim Independence Movement. The MNLF was the organization most active in the Moro conf ...
(MNLF) in the mid-1970s,
Basilan Basilan, officially the Province of Basilan (; ; ; ), is an island province of the Philippines located primarily in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. Basilan Island is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago ...
became the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting between rebels and government forces. Tugung actively negotiated the surrender of thousands of rebels and saw to their subsequent rehabilitation.  When the city of Basilan was converted into a province in 1974, Tugung was appointed provincial board member, and concurrently deputy governor to the military governor and OIC Mayor of Isabela. In 1976, he was appointed Executive Assistant of the Mindanao Executive Development Academy and subsequently promoted as Director of the Local Government Monitoring Office of the newly organized Office of the Regional Commissioner (ORC) headed by Rear Admiral Romulo Espaldon. In January 1977, he became the ORC's Executive Director. In May 1979, Tugung was elected Regional Assemblyman of the Regional Autonomous Government's legislative assembly.  He was subsequently appointed Chairman of the LTP (Regional Executive Council) of Region IX in December 1979 and implemented massive infrastructure and social projects in the Sulu Archipelago and Zamboanga Peninsula. In 1984, he had a falling out with the
Marcos Marcos may refer to: People with the given name ''Marcos'' *Marcos (given name) * Marcos family Sports ;Surnamed * Dayton Marcos, Negro league baseball team from Dayton, Ohio (early twentieth-century) * Dimitris Markos, Greek footballer * Né ...
administration during the 1984 elections for the
Batasang Pambansa The Batasang Pambansa Complex, or simply the Batasan (), is the seat of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. It is located along the Batasan Road in Batasan Hills, Quezon City. The complex was initially the home of the Batasang Pa ...
, for which he was consequently removed as LTP chairman, although he remained a Regional Assemblyman representing Basilan. He founded the Basilan United Opposition (BUO) and successfully campaigned in the province for Corazon C. Aquino in the 1986 snap election. He was reappointed as LTP Chairman on July 16, 1986.


Death

In the evening of November 22, 1986, Tugung and his aide, Anijay Jumaani, were fatally shot as they were emerging from Hotel Aurelio in Manila after a long day of conferences with other Mindanao leaders. He was interred in a Muslim cemetery in Tabuk, Isabela, Basilan. His widow, Elnorita, was appointed by President Aquino to succeed him as LTP chairman on November 27, 1986. In 1992, she was elected as Member of the House of Representatives for the Lone District of Basilan.


Memorial

For his contributions in Mindanao, Tugung Street in
Isabela, Basilan Isabela, officially the City of Isabela (Chavacano language, Chavacano: ''Ciudad de Isabela''; Tausūg language, Tausūg: ''Dāira sin Isabela''; Yakan language, Yakan: ''Siudad Isabelahin''; ), is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classificati ...
and Tugung Avenue in
Zamboanga City Zamboanga City, officially the City of Zamboanga (; ; Subanen languages, Subanen: ''Bagbenwa Sembwangan''; Sama–Bajaw languages, Sama: ''Lungsud Samboangan''; ; ; ) is a Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city i ...
were named after him. In 1988, the Bob Tugung Peace and Development Foundation was founded with a focus on education by granting scholarship to deserving students and other education-related activities.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tugung, Bob 1939 births 1986 deaths 20th-century Filipino politicians Politicians from Tawi-Tawi Assassinated Filipino politicians Deaths by firearm in the Philippines Asian politicians assassinated in the 1980s Politicians assassinated in 1986 People murdered in the Philippines