Section 50Sec./Art. 50

Officials of the Newly Created Provinces. -(a) The elective officials of the newly created provinces shall be elected on the second Monday of May 2022 national and local elections:Provided,That if this Act is approved and ratified within six (6) months or more prior to the 2022 national and local elections, the vice governor and the next ranking elective member of thesangguniang panlalawiganof the present Province of Maguindanao, who are residents of the new Maguindanao del Norte shall assume as its acting governor and acting vice governor, respectively, and both shall continue to serve in office until their successors shall have been elected and qualified in the 2022 national and local elections.

(b) The other members of thesangguniang panlalawiganshall be appointed by the

President of the Republic of the Philippines from among the qualified residents of the new province of Maguindanao del Norte upon the recommendation of the acting provincial governor and the incumbent Representatives of the First Legislative District of the present Province of Maguindanao, in consultation with, and with the consensus of the local elders and political leaders:Provided,That the incumbent elected members of thesangguniang panlalaawiganfrom the First Legislative District of the Province of Maguindanao shall have the right to retain their respective positions and finish their term of office in the new province of Maguindanao del Norte without need of appointment.

(c) The rule of succession under Title II, Chapter 2, Section 44 of the Local Government Code of 1991, as amended by Republic Act No. 11054, otherwise known as theOrganic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,shall be applied in filling up vacant elective provincial positions in the Province of Maguindanao del Sur arising as a consequence of the approval of this Act:Provided,That additional and new members ofsangguniang panlalawiganshall be appointed by the

President of the Republic of the Philippines from among the qualified residents of the province upon the recommendation of the provincial governor and the incumbent Representative of the Second Legislative District of the Province of Maguindanao, in consultation with, and with the consensus of the local elders and political leaders, and they shall continue to serve in office until their successors shall have been elected and qualified in the 2022 national and local elections.

(d) The incumbent governor of the present Province of Maguindanao shall remain as governor of the Province of Maguindanao del Sur.ℒαwρhi৷