INQUIRER.net Eleksyon 2007

Maguindanao will deliver landslide for admin -- officials

Mindanao Bureau

Charlie Señase

MAMASAPANO, Maguindanao -- Local leaders of Maguindanao have assured a landslide victory for the 12 administration senatorial aspirants in the May 14 election.

"The whole senate slate of the Team Unity will be sure winners in Maguindanao," assured Governor Datu Andal Ampatuan.

So far, only two of the 22 towns -- South Upi and Pangalungan -- are supporting the Genuine Opposition (GO), and Ampatuan has been courting the mayors and local officials there to join the TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) Unity bandwagon.

Ampatuan on Sunday said he saw a "100 percent" victory for the candidates of President Macapagal-Arroyo in the Muslim-dominated province, which has almost always voted as one in many political exercises since he assumed the governorship.

Provincial administrator and Ampatuan’s political adviser Norie Onas said: "Right now it's 20-2 (towns), but as election nears we can see a 22-0 for the administration. Maguindanao will be solid for [President] GMA [Gloria Mapacagal-Arroyo] candidates."

Reelectionist Representative Simeon Datumanong joined the provincial leadership in campaigning for the administration slate, saying their victory would assure the people of continued economic prosperity.

Datumanong also urged people to fight any attempts to oust Arroyo, citing the many infrastructure projects and other development activities in the province and the six-province Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao under her stewardship.

Arroyo got the overwhelming votes of Maguindanao and the ARMM in the 2004 presidential polls, which the opposition claims were marred by massive cheating.

Datumanong and Ampatuan, who were guests during the opening ceremony of the ARMM Athletic Association meet, told 5,000 participants and spectators that the new multi-million-peso sports complex here was built with Arroyo’s support.

Mamasapano Mayor Akmad Ampatuan noted how the erstwhile battleground of government forces and Moro insurgents had been transformed into a sports arena "where combatants fight to live not to die."

Mayor Ampatuan, whose town has 10,600 voters, said: "The people will go all out for the TEAM Unity candidates of the President."

"Never in the history of ARMM [has] such pace of economic progress…been attained. That's why we are solid for GMA and all [her] political allies in order for the region to continue moving forward," ARMM Governor Zaldy Ampatuan said.

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