Saturday, May 05, 2007 Illegal to place Kudarat under Armm: guv
KORONADAL CITY -- Claiming the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) is "only for Muslims," Sultan Kudarat Governor Pax Mangudadatu has vowed to oppose the proposed inclusion of the Christian-dominated province in the expanded autonomous region as a concession in the ongoing peace negotiations between the government and Moro rebels.
Mangudadatu, a member of the government peace panel negotiating peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said it would be illegal to place Sultan Kudarat province under Armm claiming 90 percent of its more than 600,000 constituents are non-Muslims.
The MILF was reportedly asking for the inclusion of Sultan Kudarat in an expanded autonomous region being offered by the government as part of a proposed final peace agreement.
Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye was quoted by national dailies last week that Malacañang has instructed the government peace panel to conduct more studies and consultations regarding the MILF's proposal to include Sultan Kudarat as part of an expanded autonomous region.
He said the government and the MILF have agreed to resume formal peace negotiations after the May 14 elections.
Mangudadatu, however, said he has already consulted several lawyers over the matter and they contended that the province may not be included in Armm unless the residents themselves would allow it.
Mangudadatu, who is running for congressman in the province's first district under the administration party Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi), said Sultan Kudarat constituents made their position clear when they refused to join Armm through two previous plebiscites.
In the August 2001 referendum for the expanded Armm, at least 115,571 registered voters of Sultan Kudarat voted "No" for the province's inclusion in the autonomous region while only 4,782 votes "Yes."
"I'm here (in the peace panel) to protect the interests of both Muslims and Christians. In the case of Sultan Kudarat, it is clear both Muslims and Christians don't want to become part of Armm or the proposed Bangsamoro homeland," he said.
The governor also dismisses speculations that have been spreading in his province that he and his son, Representative Suharto Mangudadatu, are the ones who are allegedly pushing for the province's inclusion in Armm.
He said such reports are baseless and are clearly politically motivated. "That is a big nonsense," Mangudadatu said.
The elder Mangudadatu, who is now on his final term as governor, is facing former Sultan Kudarat Representative Angelo Roncal Montilla of the Nationalist People's Coalition in the congressional race.
His son, Representative Suharto, is currently running for governor under Kampi. He is facing former Tacurong City Mayor Geronimo Arzagon of the NPC. (Allen V. Estabillo)
