Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Proposal to postpone Armm polls baseless
By Malu C. Manar
Correspondent
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) said the proposal of other sectors to postpone the elections this August due to security reasons is baseless.
Lawyer Paisalin Tago, speaker of the Armm's Regional Legislative Assembly (RLA), said the security issues posed by some sectors, especially from Sulu, said some sectors are saying that the problems on security have surfaced after the government launched an all-out war against the Abu Sayyaf in Sulu.
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They said the latest offensives could affect the conduct of the August 11 regional polls.
Tago said it is only Sulu Governor Hadji Sakur Tan, who chairs the provincial peace and order council, "who is in best position to say whether it's safe to hold the regional elections in his province or not."
"So far, he has not said anything," he added.
Tago said legislators in Sulu do not also see any security problem that can restrain the August polls.
The Armm gubernatorial candidates include incumbent Governor Datu Zaldy Ampatuan, Jupakar Pindah-Asia Arabani, Ismail Berto Ibrahim, Alvarez Silal Isnaji, Ahmad Darping Nooh, Ali Jumadil Omar, and Guimid Panalangin Matalam.
The national directorate of Lakas-CMD, chaired by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, anointed Ampatuan as administration standard bearer for the region's highest elective post in March.
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (June 24, 2008 issue)
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