Top officers of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s (MILF) United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) headed by President Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim, Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro region, take their oath during the 1st Regional General Assembly (see middle of story)
Happening now…
Update:
As the massive gathering concludes at around noon time, the sun at its scorching hot, organizers of the event said participants steamrolled to 28,000 warm bodies.
At 10:13 a.m. the Emcees called on UBJP President Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim for his President’s Report on the MILF’s political party. He concluded his report sprinkled with impromptu spiels.
As of 10 a.m. the participants reached over 15,000 warm bodies.
At 9:34 a.m. the event Emcees announced the arrival of UBJP President Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim, UBJP Vice President for Central Mindanao Mohagher M. Iqbal, and other top-ranking officials of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) vehicle for political participation.
As of 9:30 a.m., the UBJP General Assembly Secretariat says registered participants ballooned to 13,855 warm bodies. It exceeded the projected 10,000 attendees.
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COTABATO STATE UNIVERSITY, Cotabato City, February 17 (SDN) — With a projected 10,000 participants, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)-affiliated United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) will show off its force here today, Saturday, through its 1st Regional General Assembly.
UBJP officials and members are expected to crowd the Cotabato State University (CSU) Oval in front of its Grandstand and Stage, the battle arena of the recent Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Athletic Association (BARMMAA) Regional Sporting Competition.
The assembly has been in the gestation period for sometime and the talk of the town in various communities of the Bangsamoro region.
Update. As of 8:45 a.m. the registered participants numbered over 8,000 people with more entering the CSU Oval. Minutes past 9 a.m. the participants swelled at over 9,000.
Organizers projected the number of participants to reach at least 10,000 coming from the various communities of the Bangsamoro region.
Related:
BARMM Chief Minister Ahod B. “Al-Haj Murad” Ebrahim, MILF chair, is the UBJP president. Many are hoping he and other officials of the UBJP will carry them to a successful political exercise in the scheduled first parliamentary election in May 2025. That’s barring any hurdle to the regional election just over a year from now.
From a Schedule of Activities provided by the UBJP Media and Communications Unit, the flow of today’s program runs such:
- 6 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. — Registration
- 8:30 a.m. – 8:45 a.m. — Opening Activities, Invocation, Singing of the National Anthem, BARMM Hymn
- 8:45 a.m. – 9 a.m. – Acknowledgement of Participants by Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Abdulraof A. Macacua, party president
- 9 a.m. – 9:15 a.m. — Welcome Remarks by BARMM Education Minister Mohagher M. Iqbal, UBJP Vice President for Central Mindanao
- 9:15 a.m. – 10 a.m. — Party President’s Report by UBJP President Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim
- 10 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. — Mass Oath Taking to be presided by Ebrahim, Election of Officers by the Ad Hoc UBJP Electoral Body
- Messages of Support — Macacua, Basilan Gov. Jim Salliman (TBC), Tawi-Tawi Gov. Mang Sali (TBC), Cotabato City Mayor Bruce Matabalao (TBC), Lanao del Sur TBC
Near the conclusion of the half-day event, regional officers of the UBJP, which is priming up for the region’s first parliamentary political exercise, were sworn in, such as:
- President — Ahod B. “Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim
- Executive Vice President & Vice President for Central Mindanao — Mohagher M. Iqbal
- Vice President for BASULTA with Zamboanga City — Matarul Estino
- Vice President for Northern Mindanao — Shiekh Ali Solaiman
- Vice President for Southern Mindanao — Dr. Mohammad Yacob
- Vice President for Zamboanga Peninsula — Malik Caril
- Vice President for Eastern Mindanao — Hussein Munoz
- Vice President for Youth — Abdullah Hashim
- Vice President for Women — Aida Silongan
- Vice President for Settler Communities — Atty. Mary Ann M. Arnado
- Vice President for Indigenous People — Ramon Piang, Sr.
- Vice President for Traditional Leaders — Datu Antao Midtimbang
- Vice President for Ulama — Sheikh Abdulwahab Pak
- Secretary General — Abdulraof Macacua
- Treasurer — Architect Eduard Guerra
- Information Officer — Mohajirin Ali, MNSA
The Bangsamoro region, established in 2018 by the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), is made up of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Cotabato, Lamitan, and Marawi, as well as the Special Geographic Area’s (SGA) 63 barangays or villages that voted “Yes” in a plebiscite in February 2019 to be under the BARMM jurisdiction.
According to the Philippine Atlas BARMM has 4,404,288 people. It has 116 municipalities: Basilan, 11 municipalities; Lanao del Sur, 39; undivided Maguindanao, 36; Sulu, 19; and Tawi-Tawi, 11. Its component cities are Cotabato (the regional center and capital) in Maguindanao; Lamitan in Basilan; and Marawi in Lanao del Sur.
As early as 6 in the morning the organizers open the gates of the CSU, former Polytechnics College. (♤) (✓)
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To be updated as the activities roll on.