Noy ally, Sulu governor named to ARMM screening panel

MANILA, Philippines -  Malacañang has designated Yasmin Lao, a defeated senatorial candidate of the Liberal Party in the May 2010 elections, and Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan as members of the committee that would screen nominees for the officers-in-charge (OICs) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte told state-run radio station dzRB that Lao would be representing civil society groups while Tan would represent the ARMM.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo would temporarily “preside” over the screening committee that President Aquino created that will choose and recommend to him the OICs for ARMM.

Under Executive Order 51 that Aquino signed in July 28, Robredo would have to convene the five-man committee and shall preside at the opening session until the committee elects a chairman among its member.

The members include Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Ronald Llamas, a member of the civil society group that Aquino will appoint, and another one that will be nominated from the five governors and one city mayor of the ARMM.

The committee would deliberate, choose and recommend to Aquino who should sit as OICs for the post of ARMM governor, vice governor and members of the Regional Legislative Assembly until elected officials shall have assumed office after the 2013 polls.

Aquino’s Personnel Group Secretariat of the Presidential Management Staff shall serve as the secretariat of the committee. The DILG and Office of the Presidential Adviser for Peace Process were also tasked to “provide assistance.”

The panel should submit to Aquino 10 days before Sept. 30 “at least three nominees to every vacancy in the elective positions in the ARMM regional government,” after due consultations with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

The Office of the President would provide funding.

Congress passed a law that was signed by Aquino that postponed the scheduled Aug. 8 ARMM elections to introduce reforms in the region for the next two years, after which elections would be synchronized with the May 2013 midterm polls.

Malacañang admitted that it has no power to restrict the OICs from running for positions in the ARMM regional elections in May 2013.

“There is a belief that you cannot restrict a person from running for a public position,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

He said the House version that provided the ineligibility for OICs to run had been “taken away” in light of the legal opinion of Sen. Frank Drilon - the author of the Senate version and Liberal Party ally of Aquino - that banning them from running is unlawful.

“That’s the reason why it was taken away, to obviate any question on unconstitutionality of that particular provision. We cannot do so legally because that will be unconstitutional,” Lacierda said.

Malacañang would convince the OICs not to join the 2013 polls.

“What we have undertaken, and what we will do, is to ask the OICs to undertake a covenant not to run,” Lacierda said. 

“We stand by our commitments that those OICs who will introduce reforms, those OICs who will be heading this ARMM for the next two years, will do so with no purpose of enriching themselves or for political ambitions,” he added.