Some 1.5 million voters in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will choose their officials from the governor to the vice governor and the 24 members of the Regional Legislative Assembly in the first automated election today in the southern Philippines.
Seeking to challenge reelectionist ARMM Governor Datu Zaldy Ampatuan (Lakas- CMD) are Guimid Matalam (Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino) and independent candidates Alvarez Isnaji, Jupakar "Joe" Arabani, Ismail Berto Ibrahim, Ahmad Darping Nooh and Ali Jumadil Omar.
The reelection bid of Vice Governor Ansaruddin Adiong (Lakas- CMD) is being challenged by Kadra Asani Masihul (Kilusang Bagong Lipunan) and independent bets Alex Abdul Qayyum Langco Ambor, Kursid Hajirie Sampang and Ailani Tan Susulan Jr.
The 24 positions in the Legislative Regional Assembly of the ARMM have drawn a total of 78 candidates representing Lakas-CMD, PMP, Liberal Party, Nacionalista Party, Ompia Party and Kapisanan ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI). The rest are independent candidates.
Of the six provinces comprising the ARMM, Sulu has the most candidates for regional assemblymen. Sulu's first district has 14 candidates and the second district has nine for a total of 23 candidates.
Sulu is followed by Lanao del Sur. There are 11 running for assemblymen in Lanao del Sur's 1st district and seven in the second district.
The other provinces have only one congressional district each. Basilan has 14 candidates, Shariff Kabunsuan, 8; Tawi-Tawi, 8 and Maguindanao, 7.
The six provincial governors and two city mayors in the ARMM have assured the Commission on Elections of their support to its effort to ensure a peaceful and honest polling in the ARMM today.
"We're even so ready to help the Comelec administer peaceful elections in our respective provinces if called for to do so," said Tawi-Tawi Gov. Sadikul Sahali said.
Sahali said there is no tension among all of the town mayors in Tawi-Tawi since all of them are supporting the administration candidates.
"There is no animosity or rivalry among us, incumbent local executives and even among our constituent traditional and religious leaders because we have a common candidate for regional governor, Gov. Ampatuan, and a common candidate for regional vice governor, Vice Gov. Adiong," Sahali said.
Marawi City Mayor Fahad Pre Salic, who has jurisdiction over almost a hundred barangays whose leaders are known for what seems to be "canine loyalty" to Ampatuan and Adiong, said his constituent-leaders do not have any other candidate for ARMM governor and vice governor.
"This is something that has not happened before. Barangay chairmen in Marawi City supported different candidates for the two positions during 2001 and 2005 elections so tension was so high during those two succeeding regional elections," Salic said.
The ARMM's six provincial governors, in a joint statement of support to Comelec's effort of ensuring peaceful and clean elections in the region today, said a successful outcome of the poll body's experiment on automated polling in the region is also a paramount concern for all of them.
"We're already sure of the victory of Gov. Ampatuan and Vice Gov. Adiong in our respective towns. What we are praying for is for this automated elections to be a big success, being the first step to the modernization of the country's electoral system," the six ARMM provincial governors said in a join statement.
Media reports that security has been beefed up in schools where counting machines for today's automated elections in the Muslim-dominated autonomous region are being kept.
It said that since early Saturday, authorities beefed up security in Cotabato City Polytechnic College, where counting machines for Shariff Kabunsuan province were stored.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Army (PA) are not taking any chances, and thorough inspections are being implemented for visitors who are coming in and out of the school.
A "no ID, no entry" policy is also implemented inside the college. Even the media could not enter the said place without an ID issued by the Commission on Elections.
Instead of using metal railings, the police used wood to serve as gate to ensure the machines' safety.
Last Friday, the Board of Election Inspectors and Smartmatic Sahi's technical support group spearheaded the thorough inspection of all voting machines in Shariff Aguak Central Elementary School.
A total of 3,300 direct recording machines were deployed in the province of Maguindanao, with 2,300 to be used for Monday's election. The rest of the DREs would serve as back up.
Two nights before the election and it seems the provinces of Maguindanao and Shariff Kabunsuan are peaceful. No untoward incident has been recorded since the start of campaign until Saturday.
Military troops deployed in the ARMM are prepared to ensure that the fully automated ARMM election on Monday would be peaceful and orderly, a military official said.
Joint Task Force Comet Commander Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban said that the security of the people is at all times the paramount responsibility of the military. Hence, he said that the government forces are prepared to provide assistance to its police counterparts in the maintenance of peace and order during the election.
"We are here to reinforce the police, under COMELEC (Commission on Elections) authority, to prevent election violence. We don't expect for any unpleasant incident, but we maintain our readiness to respond to any contingency," Sabban stressed.
While the military organization supports the COMELEC in its efforts to enhance the holding of peaceful elections, Sabban said it shall not be directly or indirectly involved in the conduct of the electoral process.
"While ascertaining the safety and well-being of the civilians, meddling with the political procedures or whatsoever is out of our business. Peace and order during the duration of the whole electoral process - these are our mission to accomplish," he clarified.
The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Department of National Defense and the Commission on Elections stipulates the limits of military's involvement in the ARMM elections.
Military camps cannot be used as polling places, and soldiers cannot preside over polling counts. The MOA also bans soldiers from providing security for candidates.
Meanwhile, the military set up additional checkpoints in areas where security threats are high. Some units of the AFP are securing polling precincts as ordered by the COMELEC that is "to man, patrol, and provide military visibility" in areas identified under serious armed threat. Gun ban will also be enforced.
"The military shall enforce the firearms ban in order to dissuade or thwart threat groups including goons or private armies of political candidates from harming the voters and to prevent any occurrence of sabotage operations against the electoral process," Sabban said.
Seeking to challenge reelectionist ARMM Governor Datu Zaldy Ampatuan (Lakas- CMD) are Guimid Matalam (Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino) and independent candidates Alvarez Isnaji, Jupakar "Joe" Arabani, Ismail Berto Ibrahim, Ahmad Darping Nooh and Ali Jumadil Omar.
The reelection bid of Vice Governor Ansaruddin Adiong (Lakas- CMD) is being challenged by Kadra Asani Masihul (Kilusang Bagong Lipunan) and independent bets Alex Abdul Qayyum Langco Ambor, Kursid Hajirie Sampang and Ailani Tan Susulan Jr.
The 24 positions in the Legislative Regional Assembly of the ARMM have drawn a total of 78 candidates representing Lakas-CMD, PMP, Liberal Party, Nacionalista Party, Ompia Party and Kapisanan ng Malayang Pilipino (KAMPI). The rest are independent candidates.
Of the six provinces comprising the ARMM, Sulu has the most candidates for regional assemblymen. Sulu's first district has 14 candidates and the second district has nine for a total of 23 candidates.
Sulu is followed by Lanao del Sur. There are 11 running for assemblymen in Lanao del Sur's 1st district and seven in the second district.
The other provinces have only one congressional district each. Basilan has 14 candidates, Shariff Kabunsuan, 8; Tawi-Tawi, 8 and Maguindanao, 7.
The six provincial governors and two city mayors in the ARMM have assured the Commission on Elections of their support to its effort to ensure a peaceful and honest polling in the ARMM today.
"We're even so ready to help the Comelec administer peaceful elections in our respective provinces if called for to do so," said Tawi-Tawi Gov. Sadikul Sahali said.
Sahali said there is no tension among all of the town mayors in Tawi-Tawi since all of them are supporting the administration candidates.
"There is no animosity or rivalry among us, incumbent local executives and even among our constituent traditional and religious leaders because we have a common candidate for regional governor, Gov. Ampatuan, and a common candidate for regional vice governor, Vice Gov. Adiong," Sahali said.
Marawi City Mayor Fahad Pre Salic, who has jurisdiction over almost a hundred barangays whose leaders are known for what seems to be "canine loyalty" to Ampatuan and Adiong, said his constituent-leaders do not have any other candidate for ARMM governor and vice governor.
"This is something that has not happened before. Barangay chairmen in Marawi City supported different candidates for the two positions during 2001 and 2005 elections so tension was so high during those two succeeding regional elections," Salic said.
The ARMM's six provincial governors, in a joint statement of support to Comelec's effort of ensuring peaceful and clean elections in the region today, said a successful outcome of the poll body's experiment on automated polling in the region is also a paramount concern for all of them.
"We're already sure of the victory of Gov. Ampatuan and Vice Gov. Adiong in our respective towns. What we are praying for is for this automated elections to be a big success, being the first step to the modernization of the country's electoral system," the six ARMM provincial governors said in a join statement.
Media reports that security has been beefed up in schools where counting machines for today's automated elections in the Muslim-dominated autonomous region are being kept.
It said that since early Saturday, authorities beefed up security in Cotabato City Polytechnic College, where counting machines for Shariff Kabunsuan province were stored.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Philippine Army (PA) are not taking any chances, and thorough inspections are being implemented for visitors who are coming in and out of the school.
A "no ID, no entry" policy is also implemented inside the college. Even the media could not enter the said place without an ID issued by the Commission on Elections.
Instead of using metal railings, the police used wood to serve as gate to ensure the machines' safety.
Last Friday, the Board of Election Inspectors and Smartmatic Sahi's technical support group spearheaded the thorough inspection of all voting machines in Shariff Aguak Central Elementary School.
A total of 3,300 direct recording machines were deployed in the province of Maguindanao, with 2,300 to be used for Monday's election. The rest of the DREs would serve as back up.
Two nights before the election and it seems the provinces of Maguindanao and Shariff Kabunsuan are peaceful. No untoward incident has been recorded since the start of campaign until Saturday.
Military troops deployed in the ARMM are prepared to ensure that the fully automated ARMM election on Monday would be peaceful and orderly, a military official said.
Joint Task Force Comet Commander Maj. Gen. Juancho Sabban said that the security of the people is at all times the paramount responsibility of the military. Hence, he said that the government forces are prepared to provide assistance to its police counterparts in the maintenance of peace and order during the election.
"We are here to reinforce the police, under COMELEC (Commission on Elections) authority, to prevent election violence. We don't expect for any unpleasant incident, but we maintain our readiness to respond to any contingency," Sabban stressed.
While the military organization supports the COMELEC in its efforts to enhance the holding of peaceful elections, Sabban said it shall not be directly or indirectly involved in the conduct of the electoral process.
"While ascertaining the safety and well-being of the civilians, meddling with the political procedures or whatsoever is out of our business. Peace and order during the duration of the whole electoral process - these are our mission to accomplish," he clarified.
The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Department of National Defense and the Commission on Elections stipulates the limits of military's involvement in the ARMM elections.
Military camps cannot be used as polling places, and soldiers cannot preside over polling counts. The MOA also bans soldiers from providing security for candidates.
Meanwhile, the military set up additional checkpoints in areas where security threats are high. Some units of the AFP are securing polling precincts as ordered by the COMELEC that is "to man, patrol, and provide military visibility" in areas identified under serious armed threat. Gun ban will also be enforced.
"The military shall enforce the firearms ban in order to dissuade or thwart threat groups including goons or private armies of political candidates from harming the voters and to prevent any occurrence of sabotage operations against the electoral process," Sabban said.
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