President Benigno Aquino III will be signing the bill postponing the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao by the end of the month, coinciding with his first year in office. "I think by June 30 yung schedule para mapirmahan na natin ang batas na ito," Aquino told reporters at a press briefing Tuesday after enacting into law four bills approved by Congress. Signed into by the President were:
the bill extending the implementation of the lifeline rate, amending Section 73 of Republic Act 9136, or the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001; Joint Resolution 1 extending the period of existence of the Joint Congressional Power Commission; the bill allowing the employment of night workers, repealing articles 130 and 131 of Presidential Decree 442, as amended, or the Labor Code of the Philippines; and the bill providing for the mandatory basic immunization services for infants and children, repealing for the purpose PD 996. Aquino said they are still waiting for the principal authors or sponsors of the bill postponing the ARMM polls to be present. Senator Franklin Drilon, the principal author of the bill in the Senate, is reportedly out of the country. The Senate and the House of Representatives are now on recess. "Kabahagi natin sila dun sa mahabang debate na nangyari dito. Siguro naman may karapatan na makasama sila sa historic bill na nagsusubok baguhin ang kondisyon sa ARMM," Aquino said. The ARMM polls, originally scheduled on Aug. 8 this year, would be synchronized with the May 2013 elections upon signing of the bill. No delay? In a separate interview, presidential political adviser Ronald Llamas said there was no delay in the signing of the bill. "Actually hindi natagalan, yan yung usual. Kung babalikan nyo lahat ng priority bills, even of the previous government, yung normal ay two weeks to one month, yun ang average," Llamas said. "May transmission pa yan at hahanapin mo yung schedules ng House at Senate leadership na sa ngayon nasa bakasyon. Hahanap ka ng common time kaya yung two to three weeks is normal," he added. He also denied that they purposely delayed the signing of the bill to prevent oppositors from questioning it before the Supreme Court. "Confident ako na ia-affirm ng SC dahil constitutional yung synchronization. Actually long overdue na nga yun e. Kaya mas mabuti sa amin na pumunta sa SC para ma-settle once and for all yung legality nung bill," he said. He noted that the ARMM polls had been postponed for several times. Selection committee Llamas also said the order creating the Selection Committee for the officer in charge of the ARMM will be issued this week. However, it will be effective only after the President signs the bill. He said the Selection Committee will draft the criteria and guidelines for the consultation process in order to come up with a shortlist of possible OIC that will be given to the President. "Gagawa siya (selection committee) ng three to five siguro, pipili ang Pangulo based on the criteria and the process," he said without elaborating. Llamas said that while the appointed OIC cannot run in the ARMM polls, he or she can run for any other post during the May 2013 elections. He said this will be based on the covenant the appointed OIC will be signing with the President. "Ang tingin ko yung maa-appoint pwede naman siya tumakbo sa ibang position. Pwede siyang tumakbong governor or congressman or what pero not for the same position," he said. "Sayang naman kung maganda ang performance nila tapos hindi na sila pwedeng tumakbo sa kahit anong position, sayang yung nagawa nila," he pointed out. Llamas said the covenant is more of a moral and political suasion from the President for his appointee to do his job well. "Pag pumirma ka nagpromiso ka sa Presidente na hindi ka tatakbo e pag nilabag mo yun me implications politically dahil powerful pa yung presidente during the midterm. Ikalawa, yung mga botante makikita rin na dito pa lang, very basic, lumabag ka na," Llamas said. — RSJ, GMA News 
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