Ex-lawmakers among choices for ARMM OIC governor

By AMITA O. LEGASPI, GMA News

Published August 25, 2011 6:01pm

Several former lawmakers and a defeated senatorial candidate are among the candidates for the post of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) officer in charge for governor. Presidential adviser on political affairs Ronald Llamas said close to a hundred names have been submitted for the position, including former Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen; defeated 2010 senatorial bet Adel Tamano, who is from Marawi City; former Sultan Kudarat Rep. Pakung Mangudadatu; and former Anak Mindanao party-list Rep. Mujiv Hataman. â€œMost are nominated," Llamas said in a text message to GMA News Online. He, however, did not say who among the candidates were nominated or who applied for the post. Reached for comment, Tamano, a lawyer, said he is unaware that he was nominated. He said he is â€œhappy to be out of politics," but when asked if he will accept the nomination, he said he does not want to answer a hypothetical question. â€œAnyway, for now Iâ€™m happy with my law practice, being part of ANC (a television station), writing for Philippine Star, and being dean of Liceo Law School," he said in a text message. The deadline for the submission of applications and nominations will end Friday. It started last week. â€œTomorrow, 26 August, is the deadline of submission of the applications and nominations for the ARMM OICs. We would just like to remind the public, also all the residents of ARMM if you are interested, please submit your applications," presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said at a press briefing on Thursday. The other positions to be filled up are OIC regional vice governor, and 24 OIC members of the regional legislative assembly. Lacierda said the applications and nominations will be forwarded to the Presidential Management Staff for the drafting of profile and request for clearances. On September 3, the profile of the candidates will be distributed to the members of the screening committee. Aside from Llamas, the other members of the screening committee are Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, a representative from the civil society, a representative from the governors of ARMM and one city mayor of ARMM. Applicants or nominees should have:

proven competence or is capable of leadership and has deep knowledge on, and keen understanding of, the development challenges confronting the ARMM;

Integrity or fairness and straightforwardness of conduct, and a high regard for the standards of oneâ€™s profession and position;

reliability, or consistency in the quality of performance; and

probity, or moral soundness and uprightness. They should not be:

sentenced by final judgment for an offense involving moral turpitude, or for an offense punishable by one or more year of imprisonment, within two years after serving sentence;

removed from office as a result of an administrative case;

convicted by final judgment for violating the oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines;

with dual citizenship; and

fugitives from justice in criminal or non-political cases. Applicants and nominees for governor and vice governor should be a natural born Filipino citizen, registered voter and a bona fide resident of the ARMM for one year and at least 35 years old. Those seeking to be members of the legislative assembly should be a natural born Filipino citizen, a registered voter of the district he shall be applying/nominated to, a bona fide resident for not less than five years of the district and at least 21 years old. The screening committee will give due preference to prospective applicants and nominees who will have no intention to run for any elective position in the next ARMM Election in order to engender a public ethic of non-partisanship. The committee will submit to the President a shortlist of at least three nominees to every vacancy in the elective positions in the ARMM regional government. The deadline for submitting the shortlist is within 30 days from convening but not later than 10 days before September 30, 2011, after consultations with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte. Once appointed, they shall perform the functions until the officials duly elected in the May 2013 elections shall have qualified and assumed office. The ARMM elections, which were originally scheduled last August 8, were postponed by the government. â€” KBK, GMA News

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