‘Extremely wild,’ says Lakas of poll case vs Ampatuan

COTABATO CITY — The Lakas-CMD (Christian-Muslim Democrats) in Maguindanao dismissed as "whimsical and extremely wild" a petition to disqualify re-electionist Gov. Datu Andal Ampatuan because he "cannot read and write."

Former Justice Secretary Simeon Datumanong, Lakas-CMD chairman in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and congressional candidate in Maguindanao’s second district, said Ampatuan has served, "without a hitch," as mayor for three consecutive terms in his hometown of Shariff Aguak before he was elected governor in 2001, thus showing that he is not illiterate.

Engineer Norie Unas, provincial administrator and Ampatuan’s spokesman, said all of Maguindanao’s 27 town mayors, who all belong to the Lakas-CMD, were amazed at why former Rep. Guimid Matalam, who is challenging Ampatuan, filed the disqualification case.

They noted that Ampatuan had worked with Matalam, even in the crafting of sensitive socio-economic plans for the province, since they were political allies for more than a decade.

Ampatuan is popular among Maguindanao’s Muslim and Christian residents because of the socio-economic projects he has implemented in many parts of the province in the past two years.

He has been open about his being academically deficient, having reached only the elementary grades.

"But look at the province now? There is peace and progress. There is now very negligible tension among warring political clans. More than a dozen mayors are seeking re-election unopposed because Gov. Ampatuan has initiated means to unite these leaders under one political party," Unas said.

"The disqualification case filed against him is something very odd and too wild," he added.

Ampatuan’s legal advisers said the provincial office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has dismissed the disqualification case and has endorsed its resolution to the poll body’s central office in Manila for a final review.

Ampatuan’s lawyers said Ampatuan, before he was elected Shariff Aguak mayor for three terms, was an undefeated barangay chairman, a position which they said an illiterate cannot efficiently perform.

Maguindanao politicians have appealed to those behind the disqualification case not to derail the fragile peace that now exists among former warring political leaders backing Ampatuan as their common candidate for governor.

"Let’s us not resort to something that will again cause chaos among the now united political leaders in the province," one of them said.