Senate to probe ARMM fund mess

It is up to the Senate to investigate Autonomous Region in Muslim Min-danao (ARMM) Gov. Nur Misuari on the alleged diversion of a P4-billion fund meant for the region, government officials said yesterday.

Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno and Interior Secretary Alfredo Lim separately disclosed that President Estrada had already taken note of the charges against Misuari, which will be the subject of an inquiry by the Senate committee headed by Sen. Rodolfo Biazon.

The Senate inquiry into the use of ARMM funds is in relation to a Palace-certified bill pending in Congress which seeks to expand the present coverage of ARMM in compliance with the government's agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in September 1996.

That agreement stipulates that 14 provinces in the South are supposed to be granted autonomy.

Allegations against Misuari came up anew after the MNLF chairman was quoted as accusing the government of not fulfilling its commitments under the peace agreement reached with the previous Ramos administration.

Misuari reportedly aired the accusations in a speech at the meeting of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) being held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The OIC helped broker the peace pact with the MNLF.

But National Security Adviser Alexander Aguirre refuted yesterday Misuari's claims, saying that government has channeled some P18 billion worth of projects in Mindanao.

"The agreement has resulted in the return of the MNLF to the folds of the law, and in substantial socio-economic development efforts in the cities and provinces (concerned)," Aguirre said. This year alone, he said, the ARMM got P4.8 billion in various allocations.

Congressmen and governors in the four ARMM provinces had earlier complained about the lack of implementation of government projects despite funds already having been released to Misuari.

Diokno explained that the P4 billion released last year by the national government to Misuari went directly to the ARMM since the region has its own legislative assembly which has the mandate to allocate these funds.

"Some of the congressmen in the area were complaining that their respective districts were not benefiting from these funds and that they don't even have any say in the allocation," Diokno pointed out.

"But that problem is internal to the leadership in the area," he said.

Diokno clarified that it is not the job of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to determine how the funds were disbursed, but of the Commission on Audit (COA).

But when the annual budget hearing is conducted by Congress, the budget secretary said, Misuari and other ARMM officials will have to explain and account for how their budget for the previous year was used.

Lim, for his part, said the Estrada administration has not been remiss in its obligations to Mindanao as shown by the 14 major infrastructure projects that were started when the President assumed office in mid-1998.

Lim said this was on top of the P14 billion worth of development projects poured in by the government in the area since 1991.

"For the last four years alone, P4 billion (yearly) was given to the ARMM of Governor Misuari but the people of Mindanao are asking where the money went," he said.

"The Mindanaoans complain the money has apparently gone with the wind. But we will leave this matter for the Senate committee of Senator Biazon to look into," he added.

President Estrada himself earlier disclosed that he has conferred with the four ARMM governors, and they all agreed that an audit should be conducted.

The governors are Alim Mutilan of Lanao del Sur, Zacaria Candao of Maguindanao, Abdusakur Tan of Sulu, and Sadikul Sahala of Tawi-Tawi.

"It seems nothing happened to the funds given to the ARMM. In fact, the four governors complained that no funds for the ARMM have reached their respective provinces," the President said in a radio interview last March.

Mr. Estrada said that Misuari had told him of his opposition against the planned holding of a plebiscite and election as required by the bill on expanded autonomy.

"I told him (Misuari) there should be a public hearing by the senators in various provinces of Mindanao, why don't you join them? But he said he was not being invited. We don't know who is telling the truth," the President said.

Senators have complained that Misuari has snubbed their invitation for him to serve as resource person in their hearings.

Misuari left for Jeddah even as he was earlier designated by the President as adviser in the long-drawn negotiations with the Abu Sayyaf still holding 21 mostly foreign hostages in Sulu. --