By Ali G. Macabalang

COTABATO CITY – The Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) of the Bangsamoro region has denied the request for a certificate of recognition (COR) of a candidate declared by a regional trial court this month as winner in mayoralty election in Pandag, Maguindanao.

Issuing a COR to Mohajeran “Odjie” Balayman will be “premature” without the final resolution of an election protest pending before authorities including the court and the Commission on Elections (Comelec), according to the gist of a letter issued Friday, Oct. 21 by MILG Minister Naguib Sinarimbo.   

Sinarimbo’s letter was sent to MILG Provincial Director for Maguindanao Amina Dalandag, to whom Balayman had purportedly addressed earlier the request for COR.  

Balayman reportedly obtained a decision issued on Oct. 14 by Judge Annabelle Piang of the Regional Trial Court- Branch 15 here that declared him the winner in the May 9, 2022 mayoral election against Khadafeh “Toy” Mangudadatu. He took his oath of office before Gov. Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu last Oct. 18.

Judge Piang reportedly found out after a recount of votes cast in 23 precincts that Balayman got 2,740 votes against Mangudadatu 2,070. Balayman has a pending election protest before Judge Piang’s sala, seeking the exclusion of results from Pandag town’s other voting precincts. Candidate Mangudadatu was proclaimed winner on May 10 after obtaining an overall canvassed votes of 4,307.

In effect, the reply of Minister Sinarimbo, a lawyer, upholds the status quo. This means Mayor Mangudadatu is still the elected mayor as the earlier proclaimed winner by the Comelec.

In the exercise of its delegated function from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the MILG “shall refrain from issuing the COR requested by Mohajeran K. Balayman (because) granting the same would be premature at this point in time,” Sinarimbo said in his three-page letter.

Sinarimbo was referring to the non-resolution with finality yet of the issue between Balayan and Mangudadatu before the court and the Comelec.

The RTC-Branch 15 decision reportedly gave respondent Mangudadatu a five-day period to file a relief. On Oct. 19, the Comelec 1st Division issued a writ of injunction order for a status quo in the reign of Mangudadatu as mayor. The Comelec body enjoined the court to desist and cease from enforcing its decision favoring Balayman.

Sinarimbo noted that even before the complete lapse of the five-day grace period for Mayor Mangudadatu to respond to the court decision, Balayman already took his oath of office before Gov. Sangki-Mangudadatu. (AGM)