MANILA, Philippines - Former Tarlac governor Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco, President Aquino’s aunt, was criticized yesterday for deciding to run for vice governor in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said, “It is quite absurd that Tingting Cojuangco should be running for vice governor of the ARMM considering that she’s not from there.”
He said the presidential aunt’s candidacy “defeats the purpose of self-rule for the Muslim people as she’s not a Muslim.”
Cojuangco, accompanied by her husband, the once powerful Tarlac representative Jose “Peping” Cojuangco, filed her candidacy with the Cotabato City office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last Sunday.
She is the running mate of former Sultan Kudarat representative Pax Mangudadatu.
She is reportedly a registered voter in Barangay Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao.
Cojuangco joined the political fray in the Muslim region amid uncertainty over whether the elections scheduled in August would push through or would be postponed.
President Aquino wants the elections postponed so these could be synchronized with the 2013 voting for congressional and local officials to lessen possible fraud.
While the House of Representatives has approved a bill resetting the ARMM polls to May 2013, the Senate is still conducting hearings on its version of the postponement measure.
In the meantime, the Comelec continues to prepare for the elections, which are just two months away.
“Until there’s no big change in the landscape, we stay the course. From the very beginning we have been saying that we’ll prepare as though there will be election (this year),” noted Comelec spokesman James Jimenez in an interview.
Until now, the Comelec is waiting for the Supreme Court to resolve pending petitions that seek the holding of the ARMM polls on Aug. 8.
The poll body is also monitoring whether or not the Senate can pass counterpart legislation that will postpone the polls.
So far, eight individuals have already filed COCs for ARMM governor and four for vice governor.
Jimenez however, refused to name them as that would be tantamount to campaigning for these prospective candidates. The deadline for the filing of COCs is set today.– With Sheila Crisostomo