ARMM gov expresses full support to Duterte's anti-drug campaign, confirms mayors' attendance in Palace
COTABATO CITY, Jan. 12 (PNA) -- Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has reiterated his full support to President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs and his desire to remove from office "narco-politicians" from ARMM.
Speaking to reporters, he said about 95 percent of the town and two city mayors in the ARMM appeared before the President in Malacanang Wednesday.
ARMM is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
Eight of the local executives from ARMM were included in the "narco-list" of President Duterte that he made public on August 7 last year.
Among them was Mayor Samsudin Dimaukom of Datu Saudi Ampatuan in Maguindanao. Dimaukom showed up to PNP Director General Ronald dela Rosa in Camp Crame after his name was included in the list.
A few months later, Dimaukom and nine of his companions were killed in a shootout with the police in Makilala, North Cotabato.
"I am strongly supporting the President’s war on drugs and criminality as this has long been a dreaded problem of the Philippine Society," Hataman said.
"Tama naman talaga na matapos na ang problema sa droga (It's high time to end the problem of illegal drugs in the country),†he said, adding that no other President has shown this much enthusiasm to address head on the problem that continues to destroy the future of Filipinos.
He refused to name the mayors who appeared before the President on Wednesday but said the President's action only shows he is very serious in addressing the problem.
Hataman noted that the problem on illegal drugs has kept the ARMM in the bottom of poverty incidence list as the region remains the poorest in the country.
With the war on drugs gaining grounds, Hataman said he foresees a better future for the region's 2 million population.
The regional governor also underscored that poverty alleviation is his administration's top priority with about PHP4 billion allocation this year for various programs and projects aimed at eliminating hunger and malnutrition in the region.
He rallied all ARMM officials and employees to focus on good governance as another step of alleviating the people from the bondage of poverty.
"The regional government is expecting this year around the same level as 2016’s investment inflow," he said, adding that his administration is also looking at inviting more job-generating investments this year to provide more opportunities to its constituents. (PNA)
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