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<img src="https://cdn.kahimyang.com/resources-22/salipada-pendatun-young.avif" alt="Young Salipada Khalid with Edward Kuder Pendatun" loading="lazy" />
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(Edward Kuder (seated) with the young Salipada Pendatun, 1927. Pendatun, shown here in the simple garb of a Muslim schoolboy)
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<h4>
Early Life and Education
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<p>
Born on December 3, 1912, in Pikit, Cotabato of noble parentage. His father, the Sultan of Barongis, a small upriver sultanate, died when he was still a boy and Pendatun was brought to live with Edward Kuder, becoming one of his first students. Kuder was colonial superintendent of schools in the three Muslim provinces of Cotabato, Lanao, and Sulu. 
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After leaving Kuder's tutelage, he pursued higher education at the <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1188/today-in-philippine-history-june-18-1908-the-university-of-the-philippines-was-established" class="news_link">University of the Philippines</a>, where he earned his Associate in Arts degree in 1934 and his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1938. That same year, he passed the bar examination, marking the beginning of his illustrious career.
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Pendatun retained a close relationship with his former teacher until Kuder's death in the early 1970s.
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<h4>
Military Career
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During World War II, Pendatun played a crucial role in the resistance against Japanese forces. He formed the Bolo Battalion, which later evolved into the Muslim-Christian Guerrilla Movement and the Cotabato-Bukidnon Force. His leadership and bravery earned him the rank of Brigadier General, making him the first Filipino Muslim to achieve this distinction.
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Salipada Pendatun: A trailblazer in Philippine history was born on December 3, 1912, in Pikit, Cotabato