COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The Regional Legislative Assembly (RLA) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has expressed objection to the Aquino government’s move to defer the Aug. 8, 2011 elections and install officers-in-charge (OICs) for two years, saying the proposition is unconstitutional and defeating the essence of autonomy that cost countless Moro lives.

RLA Speaker Ronnie Sinsuat presented the 24-member legislature’s position to the hearing here Thursday of the joint House Committees on Electoral Reforms and Suffrage, and Muslim Affairs, which was greeted by hundreds of protesters demanding “freedom from immoral and illegal” intrusion by “Imperial Manila” on the “fledgling Bangsamoro autonomy.”

In a related development, Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr. yesterday urged his constituents to participate in the second field hearing in Marawi City today, Saturday, of the House joint panel and “express their sentiments for or against the national government’s proposal so that Congress may have first hand information about the issue.”

Sulu Rep. Habib Tupay Loong and Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., chairpersons of the House Committees on Muslim Affairs and Electoral Reforms and Suffrage, respectively, will preside again in the joint panel hearing in Marawi, and the third episode Sunday in Zamboanga City for the people of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.

At Thursday’s hearing here, Sinsuat said the “elected regional legislators of ARMM take unwavering stand on the issue of resetting the August 2011 election, through House Bill (HB) 4146, which also seeks to empower the Chief Executive to appoint OICs to elective positions.”

Under Republic Act (RA) 9054 or the ARMM Organic Law, the RLA is empowered to initiate amendment to the regional charter through a resolution addressed to Congress.

Sinsuat read the RLA written position in the presence of Rep. Bai Sandra Sema (1st District, Maguindanao), co-author of HB 4146, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, and other national personalities, who took turns in providing justifications for the move to synchronize the ARMM polls to the 2013 regular elections and install OICs.

Sinsuat said the RLA “views HB 4146 as unconstitutional and a proposition that defeats the essence of autonomy.”

Sinsuat stressed his message with a demand that "the essence of autonomy, emanating from a self-determined people’s will, must prevail over some vested interests.”

As he cited several reasons for the RLA’s firm support to the holding of the ARMM polls as scheduled on August 8.

He said move is seen to violate RA 9054, the ARMM Charter, specifically Section 7, Article VII (three-year term of elective officials), and Section 7, Article XVIII which sets the first ARMM elections under RA 9054 to the 2nd Monday of August 2001.

He said that from these two provisions, it should be interpreted by inference that there shall be elections in the ARMM every three years thereafter.

While HB 4146 intrinsically translates into popular opinion as a move to amend RA 954, but under Section 3, Article XVII of the same Organic Act, any such measure, even if passed into law, still has to be ratified by the people “in plebiscite called for the purpose.”