The Commission on Elections has already set the schedule of activities for the ARMM elections, but this schedule might be rendered inoperative once more, like in March 1999, September 1999 and September 2000.
The possibility that the thrice-postponed ARMM elections would be deferred anew loomed with the failure of the Senate to consider in plenary session the proposed amendments to the ARMM Organic Act.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel said that the amendment of the Organic Act should be made first before the elections.
The Senate committee on local government formerly headed by Pimentel has already come out with a committee report on the proposed amendments after 11 public hearings.
The centerpiece amendment of the committee report is the proposed expansion of ARMM — which it seeks to rename as the Muslim Autonomous Region in Mindanao — is the expansion of the geographical coverage from only four provinces (Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi) to 14 provinces and 10 cities.
Proposed for inclusion are the provinces of Basilan, North Cotabato, Davao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Palawan, Sarangani, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Zamboanga del Norte and Zamboanga del Sur; and the cities of Cotabato, Dapitan, Dipolog, General Santos, Iligan, Kidapawan, Marawi, Pagadian, Puerto Princesa and Zamboanga.
Pimentel said that it would be useless to hold the ARMM elections first since there is no knowing yet on whether the ARMM area would be expanded or not.
Another key amendment approved by the committee is the devolution of powers to local government units of the ARMM as recognized under the Local Government Code.
Pimentel said that this provision addresses the complaint of provincial governors in the ARMM that provinces outside the ARMM enjoy more autonomy than they do.
Lanao del Sur Gov. Mahid Mutilan, for instance, has been complaining that he could not even appoint a provincial health officer or provincial agriculturist because autonomy is lodged only in the regional governor.
The proposed amendments, however, could not be taken up yet because the committee on local government has no chairman yet since Pimentel gave it up to assume the Senate presidency. - Efren Danao