GOVERNANCE/POLITICS

COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMm) is building 31 more 2-storey barangay halls buildings across the region totaling to P108.5 million at P3.5 million each.

On Thursday, the signing of Memorandum of Agreements for the implementation of this project was held at the Bajau Office of the Chief Minister, Bangsamoro Government Center, Cotabato City.

MANILA - President BongBong Marcos Jr. has signed into law the bill that suspends this year’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections that was originally slated for December 2022.

It appeared that the bill was signed into law last Monday simultaneous with the signing of the President of SIM registration act. It was published in the government's official gazette Wednesday.

THE COUNTRY’s anti-graft court on Monday sentenced former Mayor Datu Sajid Islam Ampatuan of Shariff Saydona Mustapha, Maguindanao to about 128 years in prison for multiple counts of graft and malversation.

CAMP SK PENDATUN, Maguindanao – The Regional Advisory Group of the Police in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has paid tribute to a fallen member of the advisory body – Dr. Ameril Usman.

The meeting was presided over by Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo, BARMM interior and local government minister.

MANILA – Lawyer Trixie Cruz-Angeles has stepped down from being Press Secretary, Malacañang confirmed Tuesday.

Cruz-Angeles herself announced that she has tendered her resignation due to “health reasons.”

“I tendered my resignation this morning, effective end of business hours today. Due to health reasons. It was a pleasure working with you,” she said in a statement.

Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Hubert Guevara, in an interview with reporters, also confirmed that Cruz-Angeles resigned due to “medical conditions.”

COTABATO CITY – Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has visited Basilan for the conduct of Tabang Bangsamoro, BARMM spokesperson Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo said.

“We joined the Chief Minister in Basilan province for the conduct of Tabang Bangsamoro, a convergence platform for all the ministries and agencies of the Bangsamoro Government to bring their services closer to the people,” Sinarimbo said in a statement.

During this occasion, our ministry delivered on:

MANILA – Congress will try to pass the measures seeking the postponement of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) and the registration of all postpaid and prepaid mobile phone subscriber identity module (SIM) cards on third and final reading by Oct. 1, according to House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe on Friday.

Dalipe said this was the agreement reached among leaders of the House of Representatives and Senate during the Common Legislative Agenda coordination meeting held Thursday night at the Manila Golf and Country Club in Makati.

KIDAPAWAN CITY – The PHP25-million Department of Foreign Affairs Consular Office for North Cotabato here has started operations for passport processing and other related services, an official said Tuesday.

Mayor Jose Paolo Evangelista said the two-story DFA office along Alim Street will serve not only North Cotabato but also other nearby areas in Bukidnon and Maguindanao provinces.

"This development will benefit all as it is also expected to foster progress in our local economy", the mayor said of the DFA office deemed as the biggest so far in the Soccsksargen region.

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has scheduled the filing period of Certificate of Candidacy (COC) for those who would like to run in the forthcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) from Oct. 6 to 13, 2022.

Based on its Calendar of Activities, the filing period will only run for 6 days as Oct. 9, falls on a Sunday, which is not included in the activity.

Aspirants in the village and youth polls may file their COCs at the Office of the Election Officer (OEO) in their city or municipality.

COTABATO CITY – Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia is expecting an 80 percent turnout of voters for the September 17 plebiscite on the division of Maguindanao province.

“I came over to ensure we will have orderly political exercises, even if it is just a plebiscite,” he said in an interview on Friday.

Garcia attended the coordinating conference on the Maguindanao plebiscite held at the AlNor convention center here on Thursday afternoon.