Drilon endorses diplomat, former solon Macabangkit Lanto as ARMM’s OIC

MANILA, Philippines—Senator Franklin Drilon, an administration ally, has endorsed former congressman and Ambassador Macabangkit Lanto as officer –in-charge of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Drilon said Lanto possessed the “combined skills of a diplomat, a graft-busting prosecutor and effective manager-bureaucrat.”

Lanto was a member of the House of Representatives and a Philippine ambassador to Egypt and Sudan. He also served as justice undersecretary, tourism undersecretary for promotions, and Speaker of the 2^nd Regional Assembly for the then Autonomous Government for Central Mindanao from 1982 to 1987.

“Lanto’s experience as a diplomat and as a tourism promotions undersecretary can be put in good use in restoring the prestige and the credibility of ARMM as a foreign investment destination and recipient of foreign development assistance,” Drilon said.

“His skills as a lawyer and a justice undersecretary will be handy when he eventually prosecutes the grafters and plunderers who once lorded it over the ARMM government and are responsible for the over P2 billion missing public funds as reported by the Commission on Audit,” he further said.

Drilon said he was impressed by Lanto’s pronouncement that he would not seek election in 2013 once he is appointed OIC-governor of ARMM so he could concentrate in instituting reforms.

The senator discouraged Malacanang from appointing a traditional politician in the post, saying this could renegate all efforts to institute reforms in the region.

“Malacanang should look beyond politics here because President Aquino himself is determined to bring about drastic reforms and good governance in ARMM,” he said.

Another former congressman, Mujiv Hataman, was among those reportedly being considered for the post.