Muslim leaders are split on the proposal of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and other sectors to conduct next year's elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) a week earlier than the May 2010 schedule.

Provincial governors of the ARMM provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi were earlier reported giving their support to an advance ARMM polls.

The snowballing proposal came after the Nov. 23 massacre of at least 57 people -- journalists, members of the Mangudadatu clan, lawyers, and motorists -- in Sitio Masalay, Barangay Salman, Ampatuan, Maguindanao.

On the other hand, Nacionalista Party senatorial bet Atty. Adel Tamano and Department of Energy (DoE) Undersecretary Datu Zamzamin L. Ampatuan have spoken against the proposal.

Comelec has embraced the proposal to hold early elections in the ARMM so the poll body's efforts can be concentrated in the region where electoral fraud and political violence were reported in the past.

House Deputy Speaker Simeon A. Datumanong is also against it, saying the Comelec should instead go after the authors of electoral fraud.

However, singling out Muslim Mindanao for an advance polls does not sit well with Tamano, president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM).

"To single out the Muslim areas is both offensive and a misrepresentation, because (electoral) cheating occurs all over the country and not just in the ARMM, said Tamano.

A son of the late senator Mamintal and Mrs. Hadja Zoraida "Baby" Tamano, the young NP senatorial candidate put the burden on the Comelec for the holding of clean, orderly and honest polls.

"If the Comelec will do its job properly, then there will be no need to hold advance elections," the NP senatorial candidate said.

Ampatuan cannot understand why advance polls would only be in ARMM when electoral fraud and political violence occur in many parts of the country.

"If the reason for holding early elections in the ARMM is the occurrence of fraud and violence, then the ARMM should not be singled out because there are cheating and violence in other regions of the country. It defeats the purpose of democracy," said the DoE official.

Ampatuan said holding advance ARMM polls would also be like cheating itself because the early results will give way to trending. "If you get advance results, there will be opportunity to manipulate the election in other areas," he said.

Democracy, Ampatuan said, includes the electorate casting their ballots on the same day.

He said the national government and the Comelec have enough powers to ensure an honest, credible and fraud-free election.

The so-called "Maguindanao Massacre" is being blamed on some members of the Ampatuan clan, with several cases of murder, as well as rebellion, in connection with the grisly mass killings already filed against members of the Moro clan, chiefly Datu Unsay Mayor Datu Andal Ampatuan, Jr. (alleged leader of the gun men), his father Maguindanao Gov. Datu Andal Ampatuan, Sr., ARMM Gov. Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan (since replaced by Acting Gov. Ansaruddin Adion), and many others.

They have denied responsibility over the massacre.