AMPATUAN WINS GOVERNOR'S RACE IN MUSLIM AUTONOMOUS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 MANILA 003726 SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/PMBS, INR/EAP, DRL/CRA, S/CT, USIP - SOLOMON USAID FOR CDOWNEY E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/12/2015 TAGS: PGOV PHUM PINS KISL ECON PINR RP SUBJECT: AMPATUAN WINS GOVERNOR'S RACE IN MUSLIM AUTONOMOUS REGION IN MINDANAO REF: A. MANILA 3710 ¶B. MANILA 3708 ¶C. MANILA 3697 ¶D. MANILA 3677 ¶E. MANILA 3655 Classified By: Political Officer Timothy Cipullo for Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: Official results have been released for the August 8 elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Zaldy Ampatuan, the favored candidate, won the governor's race in a landslide, as did Ansaruddin Adiong in the vice-governor's race. They will be sworn in on September 30. Ampatuan comes from a well-known clan and is considered close to Malacanang Palace. He will have his hands full in trying to bring improvements to the ARMM, one of the least developed areas in the Philippines. End Summary. -------------- Official Results in the ARMM Elections -------------- ¶2. (U) The Philippine Commission on Elections (COMELEC) proclaimed Lakas Party-endorsed candidates Zaldy Ampatuan and Ansaruddin Adiong as the winners for governor and vice governor of the ARMM, respectively, late August 11. At a victory celebration held in Cotabato City, the administrative capitol of the ARMM, Ampatuan said, "This is the victory of the people of the ARMM and for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo." (Note: Lakas, which endorsed Ampatuan, is a key party in Arroyo's governing coalition. End Note.) He also thanked his supporters and pledged to work with defeated candidates, current ARMM Vice Governor Mahid Mutilan and entrepreneur Ibrahim "Toto" Paglas, for the betterment of the ARMM. Ampatuan will assume the governorship on September 30, replacing outgoing ARMM Governor Parouk Hussin. Adiong will also be sworn in the same day. Their terms run for three years until September 2008. ¶3. (U) COMELEC also announced the winners of 21 of the 24 seats in the Regional Assembly. (Note: Votes from Tawi Tawi Province have still not been fully canvassed as of late August 12 due to bad weather in the area. End Note.) Thirteen of the Assembly seats went to newcomers, while eight went to incumbents. Lakas Party-endorsed candidates took 17 of the 21 seats in the Assembly. ¶4. (U) Official totals in the governor's race from the four provinces of the ARMM counted (Lanao del Sur, Maguindinao, Basilan, and Sulu) plus Marawi City were: Zaldy Ampatuan, Lakas-CMD - 549,480 votes Mahid Mutilan, Ompia Party - 207,500 votes Ibrahim "Toto" Paglas, Liberal Party - 87,456 votes Warina Jukuy, independent - 570 votes Ali Omar, independent - 411 votes Mangacop Saud, independent - 141 votes In the vice-governor's race, results from the four provinces plus Marawi City were: Ansaruddin Adiong, Lakas-CMD - 514,032 votes Hatta Dimaporo, Liberal Party - 166,050 votes Ismael Abubakar, Ompia Party - 149,275 votes Usman Sarangani, independent - 1,603 votes Alex Ambor, UMMAH Party - 1,232 votes -------------- Background on Ampatuan, Adiong -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The 37-year-old Datu Zaldy Puti Uy Ampatuan is a member of the influential Ampatuan clan in Mindanao. His father, Datu Andal Ampatuan, is the Governor of Maguindinao Province. Other politically-influential relatives include Congressman and former Justice Secretary Simeon Datumanong (who is currently chairing the House Justice Committee hearings into the impeachment complaint against President Arroyo -- see ref c),the Mayor of Datu Unsay, and the vice-mayor of Mamasapano in Maguindinao. Zaldy Ampatuan served as an assemblyman in the ARMM Regional Assembly from 2001 to 2004 and is currently the mayor of Shariff Aguak, Maguindinao. He is an ethnic Maguindanaoan and a Sunni Muslim. ¶6. (U) Ansaruddin Alonto Adiong, also in his 30's, is the son of late Lanao del Sur Governor and former congressman Mamintal Adiong. He has served as an assemblyman in the Regional Assembly since 2001. Adiong is an ethnic Maranao and a Sunni Muslim from Lanao Del Sur. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶7. (C) Ampatuan will have his hands full in trying to bring improvements to the ARMM, one of the least developed areas in the Philippines. In addition to its poverty, the ARMM is riven by fierce clan rivalries and other tensions. Unfortunately, Ampatuan himself does not come with strong recommendations -- he is widely seen as the scion of a family connected with corruption and old-style politics. His family is also known not to get along well with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),a major insurgent force in Mindanao. His election is also a bit suspect due to allegations of electoral fraud (refs a and b). Given all of this, the expectations bar for Ampatuan is set very low, which might be fine for him politically if he can somehow parlay his Manila connections to the benefit of ARMM residents. Visit Embassy Manila's Classified SIPRNET website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eap/manila/index. cfm You can also access this site through the State Department's Classified SIPRNET website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/ JOHNSON