Duterte leads inauguration of Bangsamoro Government

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S. Upi folks bid Campong’s comeback

VICE MAYOR ABDULLAH “BEDZ” CAMPONG

SOUTH UPI, Maguindanao --- As the local election campaign period reels off, incumbent Vice Mayor Abdullah “Bedz” Campong of South Upi, Maguindanao is back on the saddle seeking a comeback to the town’s mayoralty post, facing on three other hopefuls, including the incumbent town mayor.

This amid family resolve  for him to back off politics and retire to private life after he completes his one term as municipal vice mayor but still consistently pressed by support groups to sail on that he filed his mayoralty candidacy in October last year.

Now the time has come, after reflection and a waiting period, to meet the renewed challenge of public service which he cannot refuse his people. “I cannot succumb yet to retirement from politics or public service because of the call by many segments of my dear town... I cannot just dump their confidence and trust on me.”

An undefeated municipal mayor for three consecutive terms before holding the vice mayoralty post, Campong is standard bearer of the administration party Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP). 

In an exclusive interview, Vice Mayor Campong revealed that his family wanted him to step down from politics and live a private life due to his health condition and after having already shared his energies in shaping the development of his town.

But pressures from the populace --- among them the elders, tri-people, religious sector, and other organizations --- begged for his stay in political career and continue his vision-mission for the municipality.

“I pray that my family understands my decision to further stay in the political arena in service of the community should I still get the endorsement of the public and may my family circle continue to support my career at this point in time,” he said of his decision to go with the political contest after he filed the mayoral candidacy that filing period last year.

Among the development initiatives as a public servant during his political stint as mayor were the construction and fencing of the Municipal Hall building as his legacy, the construction of farm-to-market roads which helped improve the community’s economy and mobility, the push for a sustainable peace and order condition, and other implemented development programs/projects and prospects.

Folks say that a lot of changes have come during his mayoralty years which made the town gradually progress and attained a peaceful environment as he led the crusade towards unity and solidarity among people.

In the backdrop of insinuations, he uttered these words: “I have been through politics and I really want to focus and devote my time in farming since it is our source of living.”

But persistent call for the continuity of his political service made him change his mind and after soul searching finally decided to run again as municipal mayor against the incumbent mayor, Raynalbert Insular, and two other aspirants.

Because of the  consistency, perseverance, and convincing power of support groups, the development- oriented organizations such as the Kuyog Sumpat Mamalo, “I am humbled not to dishearten the call for public service… hence, the comeback bid for the mayoralty post.”

Campong cited the main reasons and objectives why he was convinced by the groups of people, one is  to retrieve South Upi’s leadership to original settlers --- the Teduray and Lambangian tribes and to further build up the unity and harmony among tri-people living in the locality with no discrimination and regardless of races, because “we are a peace loving people.”.

Once elected again as municipal mayor in the coming midterm polls, Campong pointed another action priority --- to fast tract the surveying and titling of all public lands in the municipality.

He said almost all of the land owners here who own parcels of land they cultivate have no titles to prove their ownership.  “And this would escalate into a big problem if the local government does nothing to solve the dilemma.  Actually, my plan is for the local government to shoulder the expenses needed for the surveying process until the titles have been awarded to individual beneficiaries for free… and this could be done per barangay.”

        Another, he said, is mobilizing and activating the Barangay Tanod in all 11 barangays, composed of five each, to secure and monitor peace and order.

Further, he said the Barangay Tanod will be required to report to the local chief executive about the peace and order situation of their respective barangays once a month and seek measures to sustain security.

The best way of maintaining the peace and security of a certain community, he pointed out, is through the active involvement of the people living in that particular place with honoraria for peace keepers directly coming from the local government unit.

“I am very optimistic that these plans and ambitions for this locality would be realized because the people of this town choose and push me to be their local chief executive for a change... of course, with the popular support,” he said. (Anne Acosta)

Ex-fighters, kin ready for decommissioning

Female attendees to the BARMM inauguration last March 29 included supporters of the MILF and kins of combatants. (Photo by Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity)

MAGUINDANAO --- Babu Psung, 60, from Sultan Sa Barongis, Maguindanao, was among the hundreds of Bangsamoro residents who witnessed the inauguration of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao on March 29. She is the wife of a grizzled MILF combatant.

In an interview, she shared her journey from being a perennial evacuee or “bakwit” of armed conflict to becoming a catalyst of peace and development. She attributes this life-changing transformation to the gains of the peace process.

Babu Psung recalled how she and her family lived in constant fear of when the next armed conflict will break out in the community. She had never gotten used to the sound of gunfire although her husband had been a combatant long before they were married.

This is the reason why she could not hold back her tears when she learned that her family will finally be leaving behind a dark chapter in their lives.

With the formal decommissioning of her husbands and thousands of MILF fighters, she believes that the Bangsamaoro people can look ahead to a brighter future.

"Natuntayan nami dn sa noget den a nyabay (decomissioning) na ipedtagu dn su mga tambak ka di ren penggamiten; dikna ip'd-surender uged na ip'dtagu (We already learned that this (decommissioning) will put weapons beyond use. This is not to surrender them but just to set them aside.)," she said.

Asked about her expectations on how the next steps of the process will affect them, she answered, "Nya katundug na kabagenggay sa mga project a para sa tanan. Dikna maya ipendwal bu isa-isa uged a project a magamit nu madakel para sa uyag-uyag (The next phase is the implementation of projects for all. These are not dole outs but livelihood projects that will benefit everyone.),” she added.

She said her whole family and the rest of their community fully support the Normalization Track, adding they are ready and excited for the decommissioning process to begin.

‘We are ready’

Meanwhile, among the combatants who are set to undergo the decommissioning process is Bapa Imam, 60, who became a combatant since the Martial Law era.

Imam recounted the hardships he and his comrades experienced during the decades-long armed struggle.

"Mabagel ged i kab'ng-gyera sa'ntu a timpu, malegen i natala name (Battles were intense during those times. It was a hard time for us.),” he said.

When asked on how he felt that the Bangsamoro people have achieved their long held dream of genuine and meaningful self-governance and will be part of the decommissioning process, he said, "Nya nami ganggiginawa samaya na gapyay ginawa nami sa nasampay nami pan inya (We feel genuinely happy that we are able to witness [these milestones]).”

Imam concluded by expressing the collective aspirstions of the combatants to be decommissioned: "Kab'ng gobyerno anya na mana bun ig - u malebug sa pulu na malebug bun taman sa baba. Pangeni-Ngenin ta na mapya i proseso ka 'ndu malingaw i katamanan (Governance can be compared to running water; fuzzy water upstream leads to fuzzy water downstream. Let us pray that clear processes will guide us along the way).”

Normalization Track

The major components under the Normalization Track are security, socio-economic development, confidence-building, and Transitional Justice and Reconciliation.

The Joint Normalization Committee (JNC), which is under the oversight of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), will oversee the conduct of activities under the Normalization Track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

The CAB was signed by the Philippine Government and the MILF in 2014, which ended more than four decades of armed conflict in Mindanao. (OPAPRU PR) (OPAPRU PR / MINDANAO EXPOSE’)

Editorial

Local campaign season reels off

Here it comes, the campaign season for local candidates which reeled off last March 29, and which coincided with the official inauguration of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in Cotabato City. The BARMM’s regular election, however, is yet in 2022 along with the presidential election.

For your information, up for grabs in the May 2019 midterm elections are:  243 in the House of Representatives; 60 party list representatives ;  81 for governor and also 81 for vice governor;  780 seats for members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan;  145 city mayoral seats as well as the same number for city vice mayoral posts; 1,628 seats for Sangguniang Panlungsod members; 1,489 for municipal mayoral with the same number for municipal vice mayoral; and 11,916 seats for Sangguniang Bayan members 

Based on counts of the Commission on Elections, there are 61,843,750 registered voters nation-wide. The top five vote-rich provinces comprise 52.28 percent of all voters, accounting a totality of 32,333,808. Cebu has the highest number of registered voters at 3,082,621, followed by Cavite with 2,148,899 voters, and Pangsaninan with 1,946,682 voters.

The COMELEC told local candidates that Illegal posters or campaign materials outside common posting areas are banned. Re-electionists are also banned from having their names and pictures on local government unit vehicles and ambulances.

The COMELEC said it has notified  political parties about these rules. Those who spot candidates violating campaign rules may report to COMELEC's social media pages and hotlines. Those who violate these rules may be disqualified or imprisoned.

Also, COMELEC Spokesperson James Jimenez reminded local candidates to police their ranks and clean up after campaign rallies.

Quoting Jimenez as gathered by CNN Philippines, he said: "One of the biggest concerns really is people  do get unruly, especially in local election. Reign in your supporters. Make sure that your campaign sorties are clean. Do not leave trash lying around, especially when you're in a political rally or if you have meeting on the streets please make sure you pickup after yourselves."

In Cotabato City, two lady aspirants for the mayoralty post are re-electionist Frances Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi and Bai Sandra Ampatuan, Congressional representative of Maguindanao (1st district) with Cotabato City.

Local government elections are considered intense in the midst of divided loyalties, but mostly, if ever, these candidates have signed a covenant of peaceful and orderly election. Even then, the call of the COMELEC for the political candidates to police their own ranks is in place. We expect emotions to be tamed and not run berserk so as to guarantee a peaceful and orderly conduct of elections.

We also expect the COMELEC to ascertain the sanctity of the ballots through safety measures to keep off election rigging and to keep rules enforced.

To the electorate, you have ample time to make your choice of “who is who” is deserving to hold public office. In the stroke of your hand, the political destiny is at stake. The choice and consequence is yours to take, anyhow. So, choose wisely. Upend responsible voting.