Drilon to GMA: Maintain ‘free zone’ policy in ARMM polls

The Liberal Party (LP) urged President Arroyo to maintain her neutrality in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections on Aug. 8 and instead concentrate on ensuring that the regional polls are clean, honest, orderly and credible.

In a statement, Senate President Franklin Drilon, who is also LP president, said maintaining her "free-zone" policy and ensuring that the ARMM elections would be fraud-free, peaceful and credible would debunk allegations raised by the opposition that Malacañang manipulates elections results in the Muslim Mindanao areas.

"The President has said that the ARMM elections would be declared a ‘free zone,’ which means that all candidates running under the banner of political parties in the K-4 coalition would be recognized as administration candidates," he said. "We are counting on the President to maintain that policy."

The K-4 coalition is composed of the Lakas-Christian, Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), LP, Nacionalista Party, Nationalist People’s Coalition, the Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino and the Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas.

Drilon earlier warned that the government must ensure that the ARMM elections must be credible under pain of losing millions of dollars in foreign development assistance programs already in the pipeline for Mindanao.

He said the international community, particularly the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and several donor countries such as the United States and Japan as well as the European Union, will be closely watching the conduct and results of the elections.

Drilon revealed that LP leaders were disturbed by reports that certain leaders of the Lakas-CMD party were trying to pressure Mrs. Arroyo to abandon the "free zone" policy and anoint Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong as the administration bet.

At least five Lakas-CMD members are running for ARMM governor.

Drilon said the LP decided to field progressive businessman Datu Ibrahim Toto Paglas III as ARMM gubernatorial candidate under a reform-oriented, anti-corruption and development platform of government. Paglas’ running mate is Hata Dimaporo, younger brother of Lanao del Norte Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo.