December 1, 2009

Secretary Ronnie Puno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)  yesterday ordered an immediate evaluation of the complaint filed by Buluan Vice Mayor Ibrahim Mangudadatu seeking the investigation of Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao for his failure to protect the “civil, human and political” rights of 57 unarmed civilians massacred in the ARMM province of Maguindanao last week.

“I have directed the DILG legal service to immediately submit its recommendations on the complaint filed by Mayor Mangudadatu within 24 hours,” Puno said.

In his sworn letter-complaint dated Dec. 1, Mangudadatu noted that the “gruesome murders of more than fifty persons, including at least seventeen members of the media, eight civilians and two lawyers, in Maguindanao have resulted in numerous complaints and protests from civic, religious and political groups and non-governmental organizations against the leadership of the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) for the evident failure to protect the civil, human and political rights of the victims.”

Mangudadatu addressed his complaint to Puno, following President Arroyo’s directive transferring her powers of general supervision over autonomous regions to the DILG.

The Buluan vice mayor pointed out in his complaint that under the law, the President can suspend or remove the ARMM regional governor “for wilful violation of the Constitution, the Organic Act or any existing law that applies to the autonomous region, and to suspend, reduce or cancel the financial blocks or grants-in-aid, funds for infrastructure, and other forms of assistance intended for the autonomous region.”

The President has the constitutional mandate to exercise general supervision over the autonomous regions to ensure that all laws in such areas are faithfully executed and is authorized under Republic Act No. 9054 to suspend or remove the ARMM governor.

Last Nov. 27, President Arroyo issued Administrative Order No. 273, which transfers such powers over the ARMM from the Office of the President to the DILG. as part of the government measures undertaken to speed up the investigation into the massacre of 57 persons in Maguindanao and bring to justice the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

Mangudadatu assured Puno  that “other evidence in support of his letter-complaint will be submitted as they become available.”

Puno has already created a task force chaired by Undersecretary for Public Safety Marius Corpus,  to assist him in exercising his powers of general supervision over the ARMM, including the conduct of financial reviews and ensuring that the functions of the local chief executives in the area are performed in accordance with the law.

Following the creation of the task force,  Puno ordered ARMM Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan to submit copies of the reports he had submitted to the Office of the President regarding the use of funds and financial assistance released to the region from the fourth quarter of 2008 up to the present.

Ampatuan was ordered to submit the reports within three days upon his receipt of the Secretary’s directive dated Dec. 1.

The Secretary also requested the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to clear with the DILG all future releases of funds to the ARMM and to help it in conducting a performance review of the Office of the ARMM Regional Governor.

Puno likewise asked the Commission on Audit (COA)  to conduct a special audit of the ARMM’s special funds and subsidies for this year and furnish the DILG a copy of its report on the autonomous region for 2008.

He also requested the Civil Service Commission to help the DILG in carrying out a personnel audit of the Office of the ARMM Regional Governor.