Palace creates screening body for ARMM OIC nominees

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang has finally issued an executive order creating a body that will screen and recommend to President Benigno Aquino III candidates for officers in charge in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, who will in turn serve until the holding of the next ARMM polls in May 2013.

Mr. Aquino issued EO No. 51 creating a screening committee that will recommend to the President nominees for OICs for the positions of regional governor and regional vice governor as well as members of the Regional Legislative Council.

The body will have as members the secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government, secretary of the Department of National Defense, presidential political adviser, a civil society representative to be appointed by the President and one representative to be nominated from among and by the five governors and one city mayor of ARMM.

According to the EO, the screening committee will submit to the President a shortlist of three nominees to every vacancy of the elective positions of the Armm regional government “within 30 days from convening but not later than 10 days before September 30.

“The body will have to consult with the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representative before submitting its recommendation to President Aquino.

In recommending its nominees to the ARMM positions, the screening body will take into consideration the candidates’ “education preparation, experience, performance, accomplishments, reputation for honesty, integrity, incorruptibility, irreproachable conduct, and fidelity to sound moral and ethical standards.”

Congress had approved the law resetting the ARMM polls originally scheduled this month to May 2013 in time with the mid-term polls.