DAVAO CITY – South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. has been criticized for allegedly interfering in the upcoming parliamentary election of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Tamayo has been under scrutiny for allegedly threatening BARMM mayors with audits from Commission on Audit (COA) if they will not support the United Bangsamoro for Justice Party (UBJP), the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Kapatagan Mayor Raida Maglangit of Lanao del Sur, who addressed the Bangsamoro Grand Coalition (BGC) in Tawi-Tawi and Basilan last week, accused Tamayo of pressuring the mayors who joined the June 24 meeting in Malacañang to support the UBJP in the election.
“We were told to support UBJP in the coming elections, and if we don’t, our towns will be audited by the Commission on Audit,” Raida said in a speech. The general assembly was also aired on the Facebook page of the BARMM Grand Coalition.
A leaked audio was spread on social media where Tamayo said the move had the blessing from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. He denied this and said it was misinterpreted.
“What I said was that the Marcos administration wanted the practice of good governance to serve as a model for other local government units and make BARMM a model for the proposed federal form of government,” Tamayo said.
However, in BGC statement, Tamayo’s denial was belied by other mayors present during the meeting. The BGC called for the truth to come out and demanded accountability for those who distort the truth and oppose the principles of fair, transparent, and peaceful elections.
“We shall not be deterred by persons or groups who promote positions that are contrary to the President’s policies and pronouncement. The BGC will not waver and will continue to support the President’s agenda for sustainable peace and security in the BARMM,” the BGC said.
Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan said he was disappointed by the governor's attempt to interfere in Bangsamoro politics. He said Tamayo should stop name-dropping Marcos as it damages the image of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP).
Tan said that he and Marcos have been close friends for a long time, which was confirmed by the President during his visit to Patikul, Sulu. He added that Marcos was impressed by the peace and order and the continuous development in Sulu province, a testament to his leadership.
Sulu gave Marcos a significant landslide victory in the 2022 elections, garnering 350,000 votes compared to former Vice President Leni Robredo’s 10,000. Tan has support from Marcos, who chose him to be the lead candidate of the BGC in the upcoming elections.
Former Sultan Kudarat Gov. Suharto Mangudadatu, Secretary of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and leader of the Al-Ittihad Party, criticized Tamayo for intimidating mayors.
Mayor Jose Tata Sala of Santa Cruz, Davao del Sur, in a Facebook post, said that his camp had several confrontations with Tamayo due to his attempts to meddle in the election of the Philippine Councilors League.