BARMM political leaders chided SoCot Gov. Tamayo for "interference, threats of gov't audit"
BANGSAMORO NEWS UPDATES • 12:15 PM Mon Jul 1, 2024
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
File photo of Kapatagan Mayor Raida Maglangit.
COTABATO CITY - A town mayor in Lanao del Sur has accused South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo of threatening Bangsamoro mayors of a government audit if they don't support the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
In a Bangsamoro Grand Coalition (BGC) gathering in Tawi-Tawi, a Lanao Sur mayor accused South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo of threatening a Commission on Elections (COA) audit of their finances if they don’t support the MILF political party.
“We were told to support UBJP in the coming elections and if we don’t, our towns will be audited by the Commission on Audit (COA),” said Mayor Raida Maglangit of Balabagan, Lanao del Sur. The event was aired on BGC social media page.
She named Tamayo as the one telling the local executives a COA audit would take place in BARMM LGUs that do not support UBJP. Tamayo is president of League of Provinces of the Philippines and he was present during the meeting.
Maglangit rebuked Tamayo for interfering in BARMM local politics. “Why do you dip your fingers in BARMM local politics, are you from BARMM?” Maglangit asked. She said the South Cotabato governor just kept his mouth shut.
Malacanang summoned the BARMM local chief executives on June 24.
Basilan Rep. Mujiv Hataman described Malacanang's meeting with BARMM LCEs as “fake.” He lauded some Sulu mayors for ignoring the Malacanang meeting.
The UBJP, through its spokesperson Engr. Mohajirin Ali, quickly denied Maglangit’s claim, describing it as plain and simple propaganda.
BARMM Interior Minister Lawyer Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba said recognizing BARMM’s autonomy, Malacanang asked her office to facilitate the dissemination of invitations to LCEs.
Alba said 78 mayors attended the meeting. Six mayors from Sulu signified their intention to attend and were already in Manila at the time.
“But in the end were a no-show, meaning, all mayors from said province did not attend,” she said.
She also said there was no lobbying or discussion about “No-El” (No election in the BARMM in 2025.
“The President came as seen in photos which means it was not fake,” Alba said in a statement.
She said the UBJP, being a genuinely principled political party, does not engage in mudslinging during and in any of its assemblies.
“The party strongly advocates for reforms and believes that to change the system, we need to change our behaviors,” she added.