ARMM reelects Hataman, Lucman

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Gov. Mujiv Hataman and Vice Gov. Haroun Al-Rashid Lucman, were both proclaimed reelected on Saturday.

The two ARMM officials were proclaimed at the session hall of the Regional Legislative Assembly by Commission on Elections regional director Michael Abas, Regional State Prosecutor Ramy Lawi Guling and regional Education Secretary John Magno.

Hataman garnered a total of 875,200 votes against 341,250 votes counted in favor of his lone challenger, Sulu Vice Gov. Sakur Tan.

Running mates Hataman and Lucman both won overwhelmingly in the ARMM’s island provinces of Basilan and Tawi-Tawi and in Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur in mainland Mindanao.

Tan defeated Hataman in Sulu but his lead across the province, which only has more than 100,000 registered voters, could not offset his measly ratings in other ARMM provinces.

Lucman garnered a total of 716,555 votes while his rivals, Agakhan Sharief of Lanao del Sur and Haron Bandila, who is an ethnic Maguindanaon, trailed far behind with less than 100,000 votes each.

Hataman, a Yakan from Basilan, and Lucman, who is of pure Maranaw descent, were official candidates of the Liberal Party for ARMM governor and vice governor, respectively.

Tan originally belonged to LP too, but became estranged with party mates in the autonomous region when he filed his candidacy for regional governor without permission from the national directorate.

The ARMM, a constitutionally-mandated region, has an executive department and a separate 24-seat legislature.