COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Incumbent executives of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) announced the composition of an ARMM team tasked to ensure a record-setting transition of their stewardship to officers-in-charge (OICs) that President Aquino is set to install this coming October 1.

ARMM Executive Secretary Naguib Sinarimbo said ARMM acting Gov. Ansaruddin Alonto Adiong designated him as head of the regional transition team tasked to break a perceived flimsy trend of past leadership turnovers in the region marred by reported pilferages and shortchanges.

The regional team is a counterpart of the national transition body created earlier by the President to facilitate a hustle-free succession by his set OICs prospected to administer the ARMM governance for some 21 months ending in mid-2013.

The appointment of OICs is mandated under the freshly enacted Republic Act (RA) 10153, which defers and synchronizes the August 8, 2011 ARMM elections with the 2013 midterm national and local polls.

Sinarimbo said Adiong has mandated the ARMM team to faithfully fulfill three tasks – First, it will ensure that current properties and financial properties will be passed onto the OICs “intact.”

“Sisiguraduhin nating walang mag-uuwi ng kahit anong gamit sa bahay nila,” Sinarimbo said.

He was apparently referring to awkward practices of past outgoing officials bringing home government vehicles, computers, and even air-conditioners.

Second, he said, all projects of the present government, whether “completed, ongoing, or to be implemented, will be properly turned over “for the next administration to have free-hands in sustaining or pursing them.”

And third, he pointed out, the current financial resources of the ARMM bureaucracy will be “accurately handed over” to the succeeding administrators “indicating in detail the status of each financial transaction.”

Sinarimbo lauded the Aquino government’s expressed concern to reform all systems in the ARMM governance ranging from electoral processes to administration functions.

Middle executives in the ARMM bureaucracy echoed Sinarimbo’s view, adding though that the incumbent administrators were “overtly more concerned” because they were born and would want to die in the autonomous region “with dignity.”

They cited as proof the expressed “satisfactory ratings” of several foreign donor agencies and the National Economic and Development Authority’s executive board over the performance of the current ARMM administration.

Meanwhile, Sinarimbo said the ARMM transition team is composed of incumbent heads of the regional departments of interior and local government, health, education, public works and highways, agriculture and fisheries, and social welfare, alongside the regional treasurer, as members.

He said the team will be assisted by a secretariat composed of the regional planning office, the office of the governor’s technical management, administrative, and budget and finance services, as well as the official development office.