COTABATO CITY: Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim (Ahod Ebrahim) (pic) said the region still remain undecided as to whom to officially support in the forthcoming presidential elections.
“We have yet to endorse a presidential candidate for this year’s elections... We are is still undecided who among the 10 aspirants for the country’s top post will get our support,” the Chief Minister revealed.
Ebrahim said BARRM is inviting all presidential candidates to visit our region to introduce themselves to the voters and make know their respective political platforms.
Statistics shows that BARMM has more than 2.5 million registered voters in the May elections.
Overall, there are over 65.7 million registered voters, excluding those who registered for Overseas Absentee Voting.
Among the aspirants for the country’s top post. It’s only Aksyon Demokratiko standard bearer Isko Moreno Domagoso has campaigned in the Bangsamoro since the official campaign period for national candidates was declared open last February 8.
Among the places Domagoso visited for sorties were
Maguidanao, Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato after Maguindanao Rep. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu backed his presidential bid.
Mangudadatu is part of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the official political party Ebrahim and other members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Mangudadatu’s wife Sharifa, a former beauty queen, is running for governor under the banner of Aksyon Demokratiko.
In the upcoming elections, Maguindanao has the most number of registered voters in the region with over 939,000, followed by Lanao del Sur with more than 685,000, and Sulu with more than 428,000.
Basilan has nearly 300,000, and Tawi-Tawi has over 232,000, based on data released by Comelec.
And, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) said its flagship emergency employment programme for displaced and disadvantaged workers in the informal sector will continue after it secured an exemption from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
This was announced by DOLE Director Ma. Karina Perida-Trayvilla of the Bureau of Workers with Special Concerns (BWSC) at a virtual press chat.
She said the Comelec granted the request of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III for the exemption of five DOLE programmes from the activities prohibited during the election period, including the Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa ating Displaced/Disadvantaged workers program or TUPAD.
“We have applied for the said exemption on January 18, 2022 and was issued an approval on February 10, 2022, signed and approved by Comelec Acting Chairperson Socorro Inting.
“With this exemption, we will continue to implement the flagship programs of the department, especially our TUPAD even during this election period,” she said.
The DOLE secured an exemption from the Comelec’s Resolution No. 1047 issued on December 16, 2021 which prohibited the release, disbursement, or expenditures of public funds in relation to the election period, effective March 25, 2022 to May 8, 2022.
.jpg)
