Datu Odin Sinsuat was designated the capital of the new province, per Section 1 of "MMA Act 201". Cotabato City, which is an independent city that does not vote for provincial officials, belongs to neither Maguindanao nor Shariff Kabunsuan. However, for the purposes of congressional representation the said city was grouped with Shariff Kabunsuan, as per Section 5 of "MMA Act No. 201". This specific provision became the subject of the Supreme Court case that led to the disestablishment of the province.