Bongbong: ‘Autonomous’ means ‘Palace keep off ARMM’

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. warned Malacañang officials on Saturday to keep off Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) politics and give due respect to the region’s autonomous status. “The Palace's insistence on the postponement of elections in the …[ARMM] and subsequent appointment of Officers-in-charge (OIC's) to replace elected officials in the interim goes against the very core of the charter, [namely], autonomy. No amount of legalese will change the spirit of the laws that govern the ARMM charter," said Marcos, who is chairman of the Senate committee on local government, The ARMM elections, which will cover the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and the city of Marawi, were originally scheduled on August 8 this year. Last month, however, two Lower House committees jointly approved HB 4146 deferring the ARMM polls to May 2013. The bill also seeks to give President Benigno Aquino III the power to appoint officers-in-charge in the ARMM government until new officials are elected in 2013. The House committees pushed through with the joint voting despite opposition from seven Mindanao lawmakers, who walked out of the panel proceedings minutes before the voting, saying they have “nothing to do with this decision." The congressmen who boycotted the vote on HB 4146 were: Sulu Rep. Tupay Loong, Lanao del Sur Rep. Pangalian Balindong, Misamis Occidental Rep. Douglas Cagas, Ang Laban ng Indiginong Filipino (ALIF) party-list Rep. Acmad Tomawis, Tawi-Tawi Rep. Nur Jaafar, Sultan Kudarat Rep. Raden Sakaluran and Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong. Marcos in his statement also emphasized that appointing officials who are supposed to be elected will violate the principle of the mandate of public officials. “This will cause a great deal of confusion and might deteriorate into political chaos in the ARMM since local officials have told me that they would not recognize officials who were just appointed," the senator said. He added that the Palace would do well to adhere to the essence of the word "autonomous" and democratic self-rule that is best expressed in the holding of elections as scheduled. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile earlier said Malacañang and Congress are in favor of the proposal to postpone the ARMM polls, which was presented as one of the government's priority legislative measures in the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting on February 28. Marcos had earlier urged Malacañang officials to heed the sentiments of the people of ARMM, reiterating that “it is the ‘autonomy’ status of that region that we must give due respect to in our deliberations regarding the [ARMM] elections…" (See: Bongbong: ARMM execs don't want polls postponed) Election watchdogs also opposed the proposed 15-month postponement of the elections. "Postponing the elections will not guarantee free and fair elections... Real and inclusive consultations in the ARMM have also not been conducted yet," said Eric Alvia, secretary-general of the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) in an earlier report. (See: Poll watchdogs oppose plan to postpone ARMM elections)—With Carmela G. Lapeña/JV, GMA News