Ampatuan leading unofficial ARMM tally

COTABATO CITY — Last Monday’s elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) appear to be giving the ruling party Lakas-Christian, Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) the chance to show that the region is, indeed, a stronghold of the Arroyo administration.

Based on the partial, unofficial tally of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), administration gubernatorial candidate Zaldy Ampatuan and his running mate, Ansaruddin Adiong, were leading the polls.

Ampatuan garnered 482,213, while his closest rivals Mahid Mutilan got 177,769 and Ibrahim Paglas, 61,257.

Adiong, for his part, obtained 388,988 votes, while Hattar Dimaporo and Ismael Abua Bakar got 112,266 and 94,439, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Maguindanao board of canvassers proclaimed at 3 p.m. yesterday the six winning candidates for regional assemblymen in the two congressional districts of the province.

Proclaimed were Assemblymen-elect Jackson Bandila, Ronnie Sinsuat and Bongarsa Tomawis, all of the first district; and Khadafy Mangudadatu, Pike Mentang and Ombra Datumanong, all of the second district. All six belong to the Lakas-CMD.

Their proclamation was supervised by Comelec Commissioner Florentino Tuason, who was in-charge of Maguindanao.

According to the Comelec, the bad weather has delayed for a day the supposed proclamation of the new ARMM governor and vice governor.

Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos said they were on their way to Cotabato City to convene the regional board of canvassers but the inclement weather forced them to land their helicopter in Pagadian City.

Abalos said they initially opted to travel by land, but military authorities advised them against it since they would have to pass by a known territory of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Based on the unofficial tabulations of different non-government and religious groups accredited by the Comelec to help monitor the ARMM elections, even if the votes of Mutilan and Paglas were combined, Ampatuan would still command a huge lead.

Mutilan ran under the banner of a local group of preachers, the Ompia, while Paglas, who hails from the second district of Maguindanao, was the gubernatorial candidate of the Liberal Party.

Mutilan’s supporters threatened to stage massive rallies in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu and Basilan today to prevent the Comelec from bringing the election returns to Cotabato City where the regional canvassing will be held.

A political leader of Mutilan, who asked not to be named, claimed that they were cheated in Maguindanao, the bailiwick of Ampatuan.

Ampatuan is the incumbent mayor of Shariff Aguak town and his father, Datu Andal Ampatuan, is the provincial governor.

In Basilan, residents, who claimed they were disenfranchised in last Monday’s elections, staged a rally in front of the provincial Capitol in Isabela in a bid to stop the canvassing.

House Deputy Speaker for Mindanao Jerry Salapuddin and Basilan Vice Gov. Alrashid Sakalahul, who both joined the rally, called on the Comelec to declare the ARMM elections a failure.

Salapuddin alleged that many barangay officials were intimidated by a top provincial official into manipulating the elections to favor a gubernatorial candidate.

"What happened was selection, not election," he said.

He said he and Anak Mindanao party-list Rep. Mujiv Hataman will file a House resolution calling for an inquiry into what he alleged to be fraudulent elections in Basilan. — With Mayen Jaymalin, Roel Pareño and Lino de la Cruz