Changing of the guards in the ARMM

The official appointments of the ARMM OIC Governor and Vice Governor prior to the final settlement of the pending issue on the constitutionality of the RA10153 were initially received with surprise and fear.  PNoy had been waiting for months for the final settlement on the motion for reconsideration filed by the oppositionists to the synchronization of the ARMM Elections to 2013 led by former Senator Nene Pimentel.   When the ‘relationship’ between the Executive and the Supreme Court turned sour, PNoy decided to appoint OICs without waiting for the further final settlement of the standing legal issue before the SC. He swore the new OIC Governor and OIC Vice Governor in Malacanan while Northern Mindanao was reeling in disaster due to the flash flood brought by Typhoon Sendong. The announcement of the new OICs and their subsequent oath taking were greeted by series of bombing in Cotabato City as if to serve notice to all sundry that things would be more difficult in the ARMM and Central Mindanao.   Then came the announcement that the new OICs would be installed on December 22nd, Thursday at the ARMM complex.  Rumors of preparations for people power for the incoming OICs, on the one hand, and supporters of the incumbents to barricade the ARMM complex were sending jitters to the residents of the city. In the midst of high-strung political environment, came the announcement of the incumbents that ensured the peaceful and orderly transition of powers between the incumbents and the new OICs.  There would be NO opposition to the transfer of powers albeit some legal ambiguity prior to the final settlement of the pending issue on the constitutionality of the RA 10153 before the Supreme Court. The generous and magnanimous gesture of the incumbents is unprecedented. Their announcement to relinquish powers immediately NORMALIZE the political environment in the ARMM that pave the way for the peaceful changing of the guards in the ARMM.   The Adiong leadership in the ARMM since December 2009 has become a good example for good governance in the ARMM.   The recent SWS survey sponsored by Asia Foundation shows, for the first time, a high satisfaction rating of the incumbents.  In fact, only 18% of the ARMM constituents that remain dissatisfied with the governance in the ARMM.  Thus as they incumbents bow out, we owe them special recognition for the job well done.  The moving spirit in the Adiong Administration is the young and very energetic Executive Secretary who has become the smiling face of the ARMM Government, Atty. NaguibSinarimbo. We join the people of the ARMM in welcoming the new OICs in the person of OIC Governor MujibHataman and OIC Vice Governor BainonKaron. Gov. Mujib is young and very dynamic. He is a man with purpose and he is man of great courage and passion to ‘reform the ARMM’ in the remaining 18 months of his administration. Vice Governor Bainon is a woman of character. She is a ‘revolutionary’ with a heart.  In her younger years, she was involved in the MNLF struggle and sat in the Central leadership of the Liberation Front.  This is an outstanding feat for a woman who appears very fragile but with and iron will to serve her constituents. As the two new OICs begin their tenure on the 22nd of December2011, they would need all the help to move forward and soar to greater heights in good governance and good services and performance in public service. In places where governance has become entitlement, the examples set by the present ARMM incumbents and now strengthened by the sense of purpose and mission of the new OICs, the desired reforms are no longer an impossible dream!