Ampatuan declares transparency in ARMM

COTABATO CITY — Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan declared the coffers of all line agencies and offices under the Office of the Regional Governor (ORG) as "open for scrutiny anytime" by the regional Ombudsman to ensure utmost transparency in the handling of local and foreign grants.

The ORG, dubbed as ARMM’s little Malacañang, has jurisdiction over more than 20 support offices and departments devolved by national government.

Ampatuan, the region’s fifth elected chief executive in 15 years, was the first to issue such a declaration, a move his legal and administrative advisers describe as the initial step to the integration of transparency and accountability into the regional bureaucracy.

Lawyer Oscar Sampulna, ARMM’s newly appointed secretary, said Ampatuan has authorized the region’s attorney-general and resident Ombudsman, Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi, to inspect, whenever there is a need, the coffers of all agencies under the regional government.

"This is an unprecedented official action. This has never been instituted before as a mechanism for the efficient handling of funds by officials of the ARMM’s executive department," Sampulna said.

Ampatuan, who is only 38, virtually amazed the ARMM’s political communities by appointing many young, qualified professionals to key positions in his cabinet, something that has never been witnessed before in the 15-year history of the ARMM.

Ampatuan’s agriculture, trade, social welfare, investments secretaries are mostly in their 30s.

Ampatuan earlier said he is convinced that young Moro leaders, if given the proper break, can efficiently help improve regional security and revive the seemingly moribund economy of the ARMM.

Guiani-Sayadi said Ampatuan has also revoked previous orders detailing career employees of ARMM to other offices in the region.