Senate passes bill postponing ARMM polls

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) After intense debates, the Senate passed Monday night a bill postponing this year’s Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections to 2013.

Thirteen senators voted in favor of postponing the elections while seven voted against.

Those who voted for postponement were Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, Senators Franklin Drilon,Ralph Recto, Teofisto Guingona III, Francis “Kiko Pangilinan, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Gringo Honasan, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Pia Cayetano, Sonny Trillanes IV and Lito Lapid.

The seven senators who opposed the postponement were Senators Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Serge Osmeña, Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos Jr., Juan Miguel Zubiri, Edgardo Angara, Joker Arroyo and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.

Escudero and Osmeña are allied with the administration, which openly pushed for the postponement of the ARMM polls.

Three senators—Senate Minority Leader Alan Cayetano, Manny Villar and Loren Legarda—were absent during the voting.

The approval by the chamber came just two months before the scheduled August elections.

With the passage of the bill, the Senate and the House of Representatives have still two days or until Wednesday to reconcile their differences on the proposed measure and transmit it back to their respective chambers for ratification.

Once ratified by both chambers, the measure will then be transmitted to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III for signature.

“With Senate passing this bill tonight, we declare that we do not want to hear the voice of the people,” said Escudero.

Pangilinan said postponing the ARMM elections was the easy part but that putting in place the necessary reform measures in a region marred by lawlessness and poverty was the “bigger, more serious challenge.”

“The Aquino administration must hit the ground running in the ARMM and begin the difficult task of effecting top-to-bottom reforms,” he said.