BARANGAY ELECTIONS IN MAGUINANAO NOW A FREE-FOR-ALL CONTEST
COTABATO, OCTOBER 24, 2010 (STAR) By John Unson – The barangay elections in almost all of the villages once ruled with an iron hand by the Ampatuan clan is now a "free-for-all contest."
This was the observation made by Brig. Gen. Ariel Bernardo, assistant division commander of the Army's 6th Infantry Division.
Bernardo said this was something never before seen when the Ampatuans werr still feared for their politics of private armies and zero tolerance for political opposition.
Even in Maguindanao's Datu Unsay, Datu Saudi, Datu Piang, Salibo, Shariff Aguak, Mamasapano, Datu Hofer and Abdulah Sangki towns, known before as the "political principality" of the Ampatuans, several barangay chairmen are seeking reelection against several contenders.
"The playing field is now level so we have this situation. We have to guard these areas tightly because the situation is different now compared to the situation before," Bernardo said.
Bernardo, chief of Central Mindanao's inter-agency Task Force HOPE (honest, orderly and peace elections), said they have started deploying soldiers in former political strongholds of the Ampatuans in the second district of Maguindanao to ensure the peaceful conduct there of tomorrow's barangay elections.
"We can't take chances," Bernardo stressed.
No one would dare challenge in an election any barangay chairman identified with the Ampatuans when they were still at the helm of the provincial leadership, he said.
Bernardo said there is one town in Maguindanao, the vote-rich Datu Odin Sinsuat municipality, whose 34 barangay chairmen are seeking re-election unopposed.
Local officials in Datu Odin Sinsuat said no one is to challenge any barangay chairman in the town, not because the ruling clan controls with an iron-fist, but due to strong blood ties among village leaders that they would rather share power than fight it out.
Even Maguindanao Rep. Sandra Sema, who hails from this town, said she was impressed with how big related clans scattered in all of the 34 barangays here have agreed on a "status quo" in the leadership structure in their villages.
This agreement, Sema said, was made so as not to create undue tension among them and preserve their unity in preparation for the 2013 midterm elections.
"I'm elated with this development. I hope this will continue. This indicates that barangay leaders here now are keen on preserving peace in their respective communities and do away with squabbles for control of their barangays that only caused them pain," Sema said.
Lester Sinsuat, a staunch advocate of the strong Moro practice of resolving community concerns through dialogues, initiated the dialogue between barangay officials to support his effort of maintaining political tranquility in the town.
Sinsuat's younger siblings, Rommel and Mohammad, are seeking re-election unopposed as chairman of Barangays Tenorio and Tamontaka here, respectively.
"It's not that there is no opposition, but simply because leaders in the barangays understand well that opposition will only cause fragmentation of the town's big Moro clans. If power can be shared with each other, why fight for it? Peace is something so valuable to us," said a Maguindanaon businessman who identified himself only as See Lay.
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