Aquino prods senators on ARMM polls
MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino III Tuesday met with a group of senators to prod them to support the passage of a bill seeking to postpone the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) set for August and synchronize it instead with the mid-term elections in May 2013.
The President plans to meet with more senators throughout the week to gather more support for the poll postponement.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the President was taking a high profile stance on the issue because the ARMM bill was a “reform measure.”
With only four weeks of sessions before Congress adjourns in the first week of June, President Aquino Tuesday met with his Liberal Party mates in the Senate—Senators Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, Ralph Recto and Teofisto Guingona III over lunch at the Premiere Guest House in Malacañang.
Mr. Aquino then met with Senators Panfilo Lacson and Antonio Trillanes IV.
Before meeting with the senators, the Chief Executive told reporters he would ask the Senate to expedite the passage of the bill because the House had already passed its own version.
“We did certify this as the first of the five priority measures,” President Aquino told reporters after attending the 112th anniversary of the Commission on Audit at the COA office in Quezon City.
He said if the ARMM bill is not amended, then the ARMM elections will push through in August.
Mr. Aquino made it clear he wanted the ARMM elections synchronized with mid-term polls in May 2013 so that candidates will be able to campaign and no one will be able to have the so-called “command votes.”
“The elections will be free, the winner will be more representative of the people,” he added.
Discussing details of President Aquino’s meeting with LP senators, Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said the senators assured the Chief Executive they would support the measure and that this “implicitly” meant they will help convince other senators to support the measure.
