LP-ARMM campaign launched in Lanao del Sur

GANASSI, Lanao del Sur --- At least 17 of the 22 mayors in the second district of Lanao del Sur province joined Saturday’s launching of the Liberal Party’s campaign for its anointed bets for elective posts in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.Almost all of the 116 mayors in the autonomous region, which covers Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, which are both in Central Mindanao, and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, are members of LP, whose regional figurehead is ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman.Reelectionist ARMM Vice Gov. Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman, himself a Maranaw from Bayang town, said he and his running mate, Gov. Mujiv Hataman, were given cordial reception at the venue of their first ever regional political activity in the municipal center of Ganasssi by Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong, Jr. and his constituent-mayors.The towns of Bayang and Ganasi are both located in southwest of Lanao del Sur.The regional chapter of LP is slated to conduct a separate sortie in the first district of Lanao del Sur, where most mayors belong to the party too. We are are also so grateful to the mayors, vice-mayors, councilors and leaders of the big Maranaw clans who were there to manifest political support to us, reelectionist ARMM officials, Gov. Hataman is thankful to all of them,” Lucman said.Adiong, whose third and last term as Lanao del Sur’s provincial governor will expire on June 30, 2016, is the provincial chairman of LP.Adiong, during the launching of LP’s campaign for the candidacy of Hataman, Lucman and representatives to the ARMM’s 24-seat Regional Assembly, reiterated anew his support to the Hataman-Lucman tandem.He said he will flex his influence over Lanao del Sur's registered voters for them to vote for Hataman and Lucman during the May 9 synchronized national, regional and local electoral exercise.LP mayors present in the event also reaffirmed their commitment to campaign for both reelectionist ARMM officials in the barangays under their respective local government units.Also present in the event were LP’s candidate for Lanao del Sur provincial governor, Soraya Adiong, and aspirants for elective seats in the provincial board. There were few mayors who failed to attend the sortie for pressing reasons, but their respectable clan elders were there to assure us of their political support,” Lucman said.Lucman said politics in Lanao del Sur, as a strong tradition, involves clan elders, who are consulted first in the selection by Maranaw families of candidates for municipal, provincial and regional positions. There were also representatives of various Maranaw women’s bloc at the launching of our campaign in Ganassi,” Lucman said.