COTABATO CITY – Officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has expressed full backing to the national government’s efforts to eliminate electoral frauds in the ARMM.

“We fully support any scheme that would ensure peaceful, honest and orderly electoral proceedings in the region because we would want the coming polls to reflect the electorate’s real mandate,” acting ARMM Gov. Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong said Wednesday.

Adiong expressed belief that politicians, who are elected in honest proceedings, are more likely to observe “moral governance we desired for long in the ARMM.”

Adiong was also very supportive to the recent directive of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa on the dismantling of police detachments in municipal and city halls to insulate cops from being used in the “political activities and agenda” of politicians.

Adiong and the five provincial governors in the ARMM earlier expressed favor for the holding of the May 2010 local and national elections in the region ahead of schedule.

According to Adiong, this special arrangement would allow the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and its deputies focus more time and effort for peaceful and honest polls in the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan.

Due to alleged cases of frauds in past elections, the ARMM has been tagged as the “cheating capital” of the country.