Monday, May 07, 2007 Guv: Illegal to place Kudarat under Armm By Allen V. Estabillo
KORONADAL CITY -- Claiming that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) is "only for Muslims," Sultan Kudarat Gov. Pax Mangudadatu has vowed to oppose the proposed inclusion of the Christian-dominated province in the expanded autonomous region.
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, in its negotiations with government, is reportedly proposing the inclusion of Sultan Kudarat in an expanded autonomous region as part of the final peace agreement.
Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye was quoted as saying by national dailies last week that Malacañang has instructed the government peace panel to conduct more studies and consultations regarding the suggestion 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 could 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 against the province's inclusion in the autonomous region while only 4,782 voted "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, Rep. 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 congressman Angelo Roncal Montilla of the Nationalist People's Coalition in the congressional race.
His son, Suharto, is running for governor under Kampi. He is facing former Tacurong City mayor Geronimo Arzagon of the NPC.
