ARMM facilitates release of unpaid salaries of Shariff Kabunsuan employees

COTABATO CITY – Former employees of the defunct province of Shariff Kabunsuan will still get a chance to receive their salaries for the months of February to May 2009, Maguindanao officials said.

Engr. Norie Unas, Maguindanao’s provincial administrator, said the plan is subject to the existing guidelines of the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and the Commission on Audit (COA) and pending the transfer of funds intended for Shariff Kabunsuan from the Land Bank of the Philippines to the depository account of Maguindanao at the Philippine National Bank.

Unas said they will be requesting the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to allow the transfer.

Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan has ordered ARMM Executive Secretary Oscar Sampulna, ARMM Solicitor General Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi and Unas to look into the viability of the plan.

Shariff Kabunsuan was created in 2006 by virtue of Muslim Mindanao Autonomy Act No. 201 (MMA Act 201) enacted by the ARMM Regional Assembly on August 28, 2006 and ratified by voters of Maguindanao via plebiscite held on October 29 of the same year. Barely 2 years in existence, the Supreme Court ruled its creation to be unconstitutional.

The abolition of the province has left around 800 employees jobless.

Ampatuan said that although it is discouraging they fully respect the Supreme Court’s decision. He said they will still be giving full support to the re-establishment of the province should it be initiated in Congress.

Officials of the defunct province, headed by its erstwhile acting governor, Ibrahim Ibay, have formally handed over all assets, liabilities and responsibilities to the reconstituted province of Maguindanao in a ceremony held late last week at the Provincial Capitol in Shariff Aguak town.

Datu Andal Ampatuan, Sr., former governor of Maguindanao, was among those who witnessed the turnover.

The transition committee and inventory team, which were created earlier, conducted a validation of the assets and liabilities after the turnover. (bpi-armm)