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Monday, June 4, 2007

Seminar on Islamic Good Governance and Candidates Forum

Initiated by MOriatao Sultan of Marawi, Council of Elders and Selected Members
Saguiaran, Lanao del Sur; April 28, 2007

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
A hundred residents of Saguiaran town, Lanao del Sur attended a seminar on Islamic Good Governance and Candidates Forum on April 28, 2007.
The activity is initiated by Moriatao Sultan sa Marawi and the Council of Elders to educate Moro electorates on Islamic Leadership and Voter’s rights. It was also an avenue for mayoral candidates to share their platform of governance.
Marawi city’s Sultan Asgar Sani urged participants to vote based on their conscience and for candidates who will untiringly work for development and peace.

PROCEEDINGS
Participants arrived at 10 a.m. They had their registration.
The meeting started with Muslim prayer and acknowledgment of participants and guests.
Hamiddulah Atar, executive director, gauged this meeting on the vision, mission and goals of Moriatao Sultan sa Marawi. He also give some updates and reiterated the slated activities of MSM such as MSM strategic planning workshop; Training Workshop on Resource Generation; Training Workshop on Conflict Management; Culture of Peace Workshop for Youths; Project Development and Management Training; Seminar Workshop on Good Governance; Radio Peace Program; Conflict Resolution Process; and Documentation of Good Practices in Conflict Resolution.
Subair Mustapha, cabugatan sa Marawi, welcomed all participants. This was followed with an input on Islamic leadership as discussed by ustadj Sidik Pathamanan. He emphasized the importance of honesty, unity and good relationship in dispensing good governance.
Violeta M. Gloria from MindaNews, also a documenter of the activity, imparted to participants the rights of voters.

VOTER’S RIGHTS

1. right for registration and to ensure that your name is indeed enlisted in the official voters’ list of the Comelec.
2. right to vote and that this vote be counted
3. right to know candidates. This is availed via propaganda, leaflet, and candidates’ fora. This right is much abused with political propaganda of politicians which is tainted lies to their favor.
4. Right for assistance at the poll centers specially the illiterate and aged.
5. right to know the result of the election including pre-proclamation controversies and the protests lodge by parties during counting and canvassing of votes. Experience taught us that politicians will lead them beyond the limits of honesty, decency and the use of bribery, fraud, intimidation, including acts of despoiling the purity of the ballot to defeat the will of the people. (Lino Luna vs Rodriguez) Thus, its important that voters should safeguard their votes.
Gloria emphasized that the right to vote exclude the right to be bought. This is a criminal act punishable under Election Laws. Vote buying and selling include the forms of trading vote with money; promise for employment and distribution of gifts like free PhilHealth cards.

The right to vote is not a right for everybody, It is a privilege who can exercise this right for public good, The law prohibits prisoners with penalty of lifetime imprisonment, rebels and terrorists to vote.

The people who bear the burden of government should share in this privilege of choosing freely and with conscience their officials.

Gloria also urge the participants to vote for a cause. This vote must select the representation that will uphold and implement the people’s agenda e.g. food security, employment opportunities, housing, infrastructure, disaster management, corruption, social services and environmental protection.

Afterwards, mayoral candidates of Saguiaran were given ample time to share or discuss their political platforms.

Mayoral candidates of the town were Fiat Macarambon, Jamael Mustapha Salacop, and Hadji Rasmiyah “Noni” Diron Bandrang Macabago. All of them are descendants of Marawi sultanate.

But Macabago failed to grace the occasion.

FIAT MACARAMBON’s Platform of Governance

1. Study the sources of income of the municipality, including the host benefit from the National Power Corporation for the use of water from Agus River in the generation of electricity for Mindanao.
2. Complete restoration of electricity of the town
3. Livelihood and employment
4. Infrastructure projects which include water system
5. establishment of madrasah
6. scholarship for deserving students
7. technical and skills training in partnership with Tesda
8. allotment of a trust fund for those who’d avail loan to work abroad
8. develop solidarity and unity


JAMAEL MUSTAPHA SALACOP’s platform of governance

1. contract with NPC on potential benefits that can be availed.
2. rido settlement to sustain community peace
-Salacop has settled 21 rido and claimed to have used his personal resources for these settlements
3. electrification of the whole town by availing the 1% community host benefit from NPC
4. develop good relationship with the community

He also urged participants to vote the person who can be trusted.

After their speeches, Marawi city’s Sultan Asgar Sani reiterated the important platform of governance of the candidates. He also promoted the importance of peace. He wished that a whoever would win, will help revive and complete the Salsilah of descendants and the need to improve the farm-to-market roads specially in hinterland villages.

Sani said that he is not protecting and favoring any candidate but he is interested on the services that can be offered to the community for development and peace. In a jest, he ended his speech with a statement, “ang buhay natin sa mundo ay weather-weather lang.”
The meeting was ended with messages from the representatives of Maruhon-Sidik, Balindong-Jaman and Maruhom-Sidik clans.

Ustadj Muhammad Mustapha formally closed the activity.

There were a hundred of Moro participants of this forum.#