ISABELA CITY, Basilan (MindaNews/24 May) – Another member of the Akbar clan has thrown her hat into the political arena.
Alfiya “Dadah” Akbar, who studied political science at De La Salle University in Manila, is the elder of the two children of the late congressman Wahab Akbar and Gov. Jum Akbar.
Accompanied by supporters, friends and relatives, Alfiya, 22, filed her certificate of candidacy Monday afternoon for a seat in the Regional Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Monday afternoon at the Basilan Provincial Election Office.
Basilan is entitled to three seats in the 24-seat RLA of the ARMM.
Akbar said she decided to run because she wants to continue her late father’s programs of providing free education and health insurance cards to the Basileños.
The young Akbar recalled that students at the Basilan State College used to study for free because the congressman allocated part of his Priority Development Assistance Fund for their tuition.
The scholarship program stopped after he died in the November 13, 2007 bombing at the Batasan Complex in Quezon City, Alfiya said.
She said she will provide the Basileños with Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) cards for them to avail of free or cheaper health services.
The funding for the two programs will come from her Countryside Development Fund (CDF) as member of the RLA, Alfiya said.
Gov. Akbar said she fully supports the decision of her daughter to seek a seat in the RLA. (MindaNews)
