The Philippine Online Chronicles

The shortlist of nominees for the 26 vacant officers-in-charge (OIC) posts in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will be out this week, with a total of 341 -applicants.

"We have received a considerable number of applicants for the different OIC positions and this only goes to show that many of our Filipino-Muslim brothers would like to lead and help the government in instituting significant socio-economic changes in ARMM," said Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo.

Robredo said that the nominees will be reduced to six each for the governor and vice-governor positions, and 72 for the 24 available Regional Legislative Assembly seats. The OICs will be holding the positions from September 30, when the incumbet officials' terms expire, until the 2013 midterm elections.

The DILG secretary explained that the shortlist will be submitted to Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte who will then forward their recommendations to President Benigno Aquino III for approval.

Among those who are eyeing an ARMM gubernatorial post are former ARMM governor Zacaria Candao, current acting governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong, Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu, and former DILG deputy minister Saidamen Pangarungan.

He added that there will be a public forum from September 13 to 15 wherecandidates will be presenting their agenda for the region.

“By allowing OICs working for 21 months, they will set a benchmark for good governance in ARMM,” Robredo noted.

The supposed August 8 ARMM elections were deferred and instead will be synchronized with the 2013 midterm elections by virtue of Republic Act 13153. Under this RA, the President has the power to appoint OICs in ARMM until 2013.