President’s aunt Tingting seeks ARMM Vice Gov. post

ZAMBOANGA CITY: The aunt of President Benigno Aquino 3rd, Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco, will be running for Vice Governor of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) for the 2013 polls, the camp of former Congressman Pax Mangudadatu said Saturday.

Teng Garcia, who serves as the spokesman of Mangudadatu, disclosed that Cojuangco will be the running mate of Mangudadatu who will be seeking the ARMM’s gubernatorial post.

“They agreed to join forces [for the 2013 polls] after their meeting on Thursday,” Garcia, also a former governor of Sultan Kudarat province for nine years, said.

Mangudadatu’s son, Suharto, is now the provincial governor while his son-in-law, Raden Sakaluran, is a congressman. His daughter, Ruth Sakaluran, is a town mayor.

Cojuangco, who has initially denounced President’s Aquino’s planned postponement of ARMM’s August 2011 polls to 2013, could be in for a tough fight since she is yet to get the support of four influential provincial governors of ARMM such as Sakur Tan of Sulu, Jun Akbar of Basilan, Sakidul Sahali of Tawi-Tawi and Esmael Mangudadatu of Maguindanao.

The said four governors have rallied behind Aquino and have campaigned for the postponement of the ARMM elections that would result in the President appointing officers-in-charge in the ARMM.

Another obstacle that Cojuangco would have to hurdle is meeting the one-year ARMM residency required by law that would enable her to run for ARMM’s Vice Gubernatorial post. She currently resides in a posh village in Makati City.

Garcia, however, is confident that President Aquino’s aunt would muster enough support in time for the 2013 elections considering that Cojuangco maintains many houses in the region.

Cojuangco seems to be gearing up for the 2013 polls quite well this early as she has already paid a visit to Maguindanao, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi in recent weeks to seek for support.

Should her candidacy pushes through, Cojunagco will be running against incumbent Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong, brother of incumbent ARMM Vice Gov. Ansaruddin Adiong.

ARMM’s Vice Governor Adiong was appointed officer-in-charge in 2009 after Zaldy Ampatuan, the elected regional governor, was arrested and jailed along with his father and brother and relatives after being accused of killing 57 people, including at least 32 journalists in Maguindanao province.

Those killed were on the political convoy of then town vice mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, a political opponent of the Ampatuan clan.

Source:-
http://www.manilatimes.net/news/regions/president’s-aunt-tingting-seeks-armm-vice-gov-post/