MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, Mar. 14 (PIA) – While some groups in the province have expressed support to HB 4146, there are also others that calls for the elections in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to push through.
Take the case of the Alliance of Regional Coalitions Against People’s Poverty (ARCAPP) and its Coalitions of Non-Government Organizations and Civil Society, which issued a manifesto requesting the pull-out of HB 4146.
They argued that ARMM was crafted as a mechanism for self-governance to answer the Bangsamoro people’s long decades of struggle and that it was not handed in silver platter but after precious lives and properties were lost.
They are now calling for the ARMM elections to push through, as scheduled, on August this year because they believe that postponement will bring instability in the region and deny its people the right to self-determination.
Furthermore, they pointed out that autonomy of the inhabitants of the ARMM must be upheld including their rights to choose their leaders.
“While we believe in the administration’s desire for peace in ARMM, such cannot compromise our right of suffrage to elect our leaders in a free and honest election,” they said.
Meanwhile, Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) Chair Luwalhati Antonino has appealed to the participants of the public hearing to accept the proposal of the President citing his determination to make reforms in the region.
Antonino graced the consultation together with Secretary Jesse Robredo of the Dept. of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Secretary Leila de Lima of the Dept. of Justice.
Robredo underscored the need to postpone the elections and for the President to appoint Officers-in-Charge (OICs) citing that ARMM was created to improve the lives of the people in the region. However, he noted that after 21 years of autonomy, four (4) out of its five (5) provinces are among the poorest in the country.
De Lima, on the other hand, defended the legality of the bill pointing out that the Constitution has an express policy on the synchronization of national and local elections.
She also added that the appointment of OIC’s is defensible since the Supreme Court has ruled that “holdover” position is unconstitutional and that the President has the power to appoint OICs consistent with the principle that a vacuum is not allowed by law. (APB/PIA-10 Marawi)
No comments