MARAWI CITY, Lanao del Sur, July 24 -- President Benigno S. Aquino III has lauded the government of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in carrying out clean, honest and peaceful midterm elections in Monday’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Citing report of the first-ever, non-failure of election in the province of Lanao del Sur, Aquino lauds regional efforts that led to a clean and honest poll despite widespread apprehensions.
“Gawin po nating halimbawa ang ARMM, ang sabi nga po ni Governor Mujiv S. Hataman, sa tanang-buhay niya , hindi siya makaalala ng pagkakataon kung kailan walang failure of elections sa Lanao Del Sur," (Let us use ARMM as an example. Governor Mujiv Hataman has said that he could not remember a time in his life when Lanao del Sur did not suffer a failure of elections) he said, underscoring the synchronization of election atypical from previous administration.
The said province, a fraction of ARMM mainland territory, was previously an election hotspot due to massive failure of elections.
“May mga nag-aakalang lulubha pa ang situwasyon sa halalan ng ARMM, pero kita naman po, ang laki ng ikinaganda nito: Naging malinis at tapat ang halalan; natuloy ang bilangan, natuloy ang proklamasyon ng mga may bagong mandato mula sa taumbayan,” (There were those who thought the situation in ARMM would only get worse. But we have seen how vastly it has improved: ARMM successfully held a clean, safe, and fair election; votes were counted, and those whom the people charged with new mandates were proclaimed) he added.
For his part, Governor Mujiv Hataman said that “President Aquino's mention of the zero failure of election in ARMM, for the first time, proves that the reform agenda in the region is at work- and we're grateful that it's part of his report to our people.”
Last year, then officer-in-charge now elected governor, Hataman, was also cited as ‘certified ghost buster’ in reference to his house keeping feat in cleansing the ranks of the regional bureaucracy. (BPI-ARMM)
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