ZAMBOANGA CITY, 13 August 2005 — Datu Zaldy Ampa-tuan, governor-elect of the Muslim autonomous region (ARMM) in the southern Philippines, promised yesterday to introduce sweeping reforms and crack down on corruption as soon as he assumes office.
Backed by Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, the leader of a prominent political clan in Maguindanao province was proclaimed winner in Monday’s ARMM election after a landslide victory over his closest rival, former Vice Governor Mahid Mutilan.
The region, which consists of of Marawi City and the provinces of Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, has a total of 1.2 million registered voters.
Ampatuan got 549,480 votes, Mutilan was second with 207,500 votes and Ibrahim Paglas of the Liberal Party was third with 87,456.
Ampatuan’s running mate, Ansaruddin Adiong, won as vice governor with 514,032 votes.
Hattah Dimaporo was second with 166,050 and Ismael Abubakar got 149,279 votes.
“There are lots of things to be done now. Our priority is to fight corruption and introduce reforms that will benefit more than two million Muslims in the autonomous region. We will work closely with all provincial governors and work harder to help alleviate the poor living standards of our people,” he told Arab News by phone from his base at Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao.
Ampatuan called on his rivals to forget their political differences and join him in leading the autonomous region.
He credited his victory partly to various civic and multisectoral groups who supported him, as well as Sulu Rep. Munir Arbison and governors Benjamin Loong (Sulu), Sadikul Sahali (Tawi-Tawi), and Wahab Akbar (Basilan).
In an interview aired yesterday by local radio network DXRZ-Radyo Agong, Ampatuan also expressed gratitude to the mayors in the five provinces for supporting him and other candidates of the administration Lakas coalition.
Ampatuan was two-time mayor of Shariff Aguak town until he was chosen by a government selection committee among the dozens of politicians as the official gubernatorial candidate of the ruling coalition.
