Poor barangay captain in Basilan admired for service feats
GOVERNANCE/POLITICS • 10:00 AM Sat Jun 22, 2019
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By:
John M. Unson
COTABATO CITY ---- There is a poor barangay chairman in Basilan, living in a house that five men can demolish in an hour, who is admired for his examples.
An Islamic theologian, Ustadz Abdulhalim Maranie Hatain, chairman of Barangay Linu-an in Al-Barka, Basilan never even thought he can defeat his rivals during the May 14, 2018 barangay elections due to lack of money for basic campaign expenditures.
Hatain refuses to talk to reporters about his charity works for his people in keeping with Islamic teachings on silence and ambiguity on charitable acts.
Municipal officials said Friday Hatain is admired for his very simple lifestyle, an absolute contrast with the amenities the barangay government of Linu-an has, provided for by the erstwhile executive department of the now defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
He holds office barefoot in a new and so clean barangay hall built by the ARMM government.
Municipal officials said Hatain walks around wearing only cheap slippers and simple clothes whenever he tours isolated villages, unescorted by barangay watchmen.
Pablan Alih, a local government operations staff in Basilan of the local government ministry of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said Friday Hatain, a frugal person, acts on community issues and concerns based on recommendations from barangay folk.
An Al-Barka resident named Asjad Wadjan said Hatain is not a typical barrio leader who relies on authority to run the show.
“He manages the affairs of the barangay with the participation of the people like a basketball team, full of cooperation,” Wadjan said Friday.
Sources from the provincial government said Hatain is also focused on da’awah (preaching activity) where he espouses respect for and fraternalism with non-Muslims.
In his sermons, Hatain warns of how “busung,” or divine wrath, can hit people that disrespects others, regardless of religions and races.
His handling of barangay funds is open to scrutiny by constituents anytime and he acts on security problems based on collective recommendations by members of the barangay council and purok leaders.
Basilan Gov. Jim Salliman said Friday he and municipal officials in Al-Barka are inspired by the examples of Hatain, whose barangay is now bouncing back from armed conflicts.