Senate body to conduct one more hearing on postponement of ARMM polls

The Senate committee on local government will still have to conduct one final hearing on the proposed postponement of the Aug. 8, 2011 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) polls, its chairman Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said Monday. "Mukhang magkakaroon pa ng (Looks like we're gonna have another) hearing and we will ask the political advisers of the President about this proposal that they have put before us through the House and in the Senate," Marcos told reporters in an interview. Marcos said they have yet to schedule the hearing but that it will be conducted in Manila. Last week, the Senate panel conducted a public consultation in Marawi City. Marcos said the resource persons will probably include Interior Sec. Jesse Robredo, presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita "Ding" Deles, and presidential adviser for political affairs Robert Llamas. He said one of the things they aim to determine during th hearing is who will be serve as temporary ARMM officials if ever the elections are postponed and how they will be picked. Marcos had earlier said that he is not inclined to support the postponement of the elections in the ARMM. He found allies in Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri and Francis Escudero, who said that poll postponement is unconstitutional. The House of Representatives had earlier passed its version of the bill calling for the postponement of the ARMM polls. — Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ, GMA News