Opposition bet withdraws from ARMM governor race

SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao — The opposition’s candidate for governor in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections on Aug. 8 has officially withdrawn from the race and joined the administration’s Lakas-Christian, Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party.

Former Maguindanao Rep. Guimid Matalam signed the affidavit stating that he was backing out from the gubernatorial race at the residence here of Gov. Datu Andal Ampatuan, whose son, Mayor Datu Zaldy Ampatuan of Shariff Aguak town, is the official Lakas-CMD candidate for governor.

Preceding Matalam’s official withdrawal of his candidacy was a brief unification dialogue between him and Ampatuan, ending a deep-seated animosity between the two spawned by their rivalry in last year’s gubernatorial contest. Ampatuan defeated Matalam by almost 200,000 votes.

"I decided to withdraw my candidacy so that the leaders of the opposition and the Lakas-CMD in Maguindanao can work together and project to the people of Luzon and the Visayas that unlike our counterparts in Metro Manila, we have political solidarity in our province," said Matalam, who was ARMM vice governor from 1996 to 2001.

Matalam said he is also convinced that since the ARMM is a known stronghold of the Lakas-CMD, administration candidates have better chances of winning in the polls.

He said the reconciliation of the Matalam and Ampatuan clans can also help motivate warring families in other parts of the region to unite and have a solid vote in the Aug. 8 regional elections.

The ARMM covers Marawi City, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, both in Central Mindanao, and the island-provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

All of the 105 mayors and five governors in the ARMM are members of the Lakas-CMD.

With Matalam out, two Maguindanaons — Ampatuan and businessman Ibrahim Paglas of the Liberal Party — are slugging it out with five other candidates in the gubernatorial race.