MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 27 December) – Former Lanao del Sur governor Soraya Bedjoria Alonto-Adiong has died, relatives and friends announced on Facebook Friday, a few days before she would have turned 81 on January 7, 2025.
Alonto-Adiong served as governor from June 30, 2016 to June 30, 2019.
Her husband, Mamintal Adiong Sr., was also a politician, serving as representative of the province from 1992 to 2001, and as governor from 2001 until his death in 2004.
She was the daughter of Domocao Alonto and Momihna Malawani Alonto, and mother of incumbent Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr., Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, and former representative Ansaruddin Alonto Adiong.
Her father became a representative of Lanao del Sur in 1953, senator from 1955 to 1961, and a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission whose members were handpicked by President Corazon C. Aquino.
Alonto-Adiong hogged the headlines during the campaign for the presidential election in 2022 after meeting with then-Vice President Leni Robredo, although she said it had nothing to do with politics.
She said that since 2016, “whenever VP Leni goes to Marawi, she would always come to me for a friendly visit.”
Her son, Mamintal Jr., supported the candidacy of eventual winner Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
In his Facebook post Friday, her brother, Adnan Villaluna Alonto, said,” She will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, sister, relative and devoted public servant. She is much loved and admired by many for her generosity, calmness and poise under pressure.”
“She exemplified grace and commitment to her people during the Marawi siege as the leader of the province. She will be greatly missed,” he said.
Sarifa Alonto Younes, a cousin, described Alonto-Adiong as “an epitome of leadership, resilience, and unwavering commitment to public service.”
“Her life was a testament to the strength and grace of a woman who not only led but also nurtured a legacy of service and leadership that will endure for generations,” Younes added.
“She was well loved,” Meranaw civic leader Samira Gutoc, who served as a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, said in her Facebook post. (H. Marcos C. Mordeno/MindaNews)
