‘ARMM got P43-B funds under Nur’

Two young Mindanao congressmen revealed yesterday that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) under Gov. Nur Misuari has received nearly P43 billion in funds since 1996.

"This fact proves that the national government has not neglected the autonomous region in the South as Chairman Nur claims," said Representatives Juan Miguel Zubiri of Bukidnon and Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte.

Quoting the annual budgets enacted by Congress during Misuari’s watch in ARMM, Zubiri and Barbers said the autonomous region had total appropriations of P22.7 billion for operations from 1996 to 2001.

Additionally, special purpose and project funds such as those allocated for agriculture and agrarian reform amounted to about P20 billion, bringing the total to P42.7 billion, they said.

They said the amount does not include billions of pesos in internal revenue allotments received directly by towns, cities and provinces within the ARMM.

For 2002, the region would receive more than P11 billion in operational and special purpose funds.

The two Mindanao lawmakers admitted that the money appropriated for ARMM had not been enough for its development requirement.

"But that was the case for all other regions, for the entire country. No region had been awash with cash," they said.

To Misuari’s credit, Zubiri said the governor and chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) trimmed the excess fat in the autonomous region’s bureaucracy.

He said the bulk of the ARMM funds was used to pay for the salaries of devolved employees such as teachers who comprise more than 80 percent of the region’s workforce.

Misuari and his MNLF followers have declared war on the government. Some sectors in Mindanao claim the move is intended to preempt the election of a new ARMM governor on Monday.

Barbers said he hopes that a full-scale war could be avoided in Mindanao.

"Our economy won’t be able to absorb the cost of yet another conflict," he said.

He added that Misuari must face the consequences of his action.