Palace ‘respects’ PNoy aunt decision to run in ARMM polls

Malacañang will respect the decision of President Benigno Aquino III’s aunt Tingting Cojuangco to run for vice governor in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections this August. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Saturday Mrs. Cojuangco is free to run in elections “as she pleases." “It’s a free country. Anybody is free to put himself up to an electoral post as they see fit," she said on government-run dzRB radio. Cojuangco had said she will run in the ARMM elections even without President Aquino's blessing.
President Aquino had wanted the ARMM polls postponed to 2013, and had asked Congress to pass a bill postponing the polls, originally scheduled for Aug. 8. On Friday, Mrs. Cojuangco said she and running mate former Sultan Kudarat governor Pax Mangudadatu are determined to run even without Malacañang’s consent. There were 14 aspirants for the gubernatorial post and 16 for the vice gubernatorial post, including Mrs. Cojuangco. — LBG, GMA News