Jobless officials, confusing poll preparations follow province’s dissolution
Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7d/ShariffKab.jpg/300px-ShariffKab.jpg
By Jesus F. Llanto
Researcher, Newsbreak
Thursday, 17 July 2008–Local officials in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) warned Thursday that the Supreme Court (SC) decision voiding the creation of Shariff Kabunsuan province by the regional legislature would cause leadership problem and unemployment in the province.
According to local officials interviewed by abs-cbnNews.com/Newsbreak, the tribunal’s decision will cause some of the elected officials and government employees in Shariff Kabunsuan to lose their jobs since the province will be reverted to Maguindanao, its mother province.
The High Tribunal, voting 8-6, voided a law enacted by the ARMM’s lawmaking body –the Regional Legislative Assembly (RLA)– in August 2006 that established Shariff Kabunsuan. It nullified Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act 201, which created the province by carving out eight municipalities from the first legislative district of Maguindanao and was ratified in a plebiscite in October 2006.
The SC argued that since the creation of provinces and cities require the creation of legislative districts, and only Congress—not regional and local bodies—can create or reapportion legislative districts—the creation of Shariff Kabunsuan province by the RLA was against the Constitution.
The resolution reduces the number of provinces in ARMM to five. ARMM is composed of Maguindanao, Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Lanao del Sur, Basilan (excluding Isabela City) and the city of Marawi .
