COTABATO CITY–Winners in Monday’s village and youth elections will only be recognized by the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) if they test negative for illegal drugs, the head of the regional interior and local government office said Tuesday.
Elected village officials will only be recognized by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) – ARMM if they have passed this requirement, lawyer Noor Hafizullah Abdullah, said Tuesday.
“Drug test results must be issued by a government hospital,” Abdullah said.
He said each proclaimed Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan official should also forward to the DILG-ARMM office here his/her statement of assets and liabilities (SALN), certificate of canvass declaring he/she won the election duly authenticated by poll officials, and the certificate of proclamation.
Abdullah’s statement was welcomed by Chief Supt. Graciano Mijares, police regional director for ARMM, who said the police will help the DILG determine if Monday’s winners are not, in any way, involved in illegal drugs. (Edwin Fernandez/PNA)
