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COTABATO CITY, May 17, 2024 (SDN) — While the inaugural elections for Parliament in May 25 in the Bangsamoro region hangs in the balance, political parties are already thick in anticipation and their preparation.
“Hangs in the balance” because of the petition that some local officials and stakeholders in the BARMM filed on June 14, 2023, in the Supreme Court. Their petition challenges the legality of the Bangsamoro Election Code (BEC), the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act No. 35, approved by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament on March 8 last year. Its effectivity kicked off on May 17, per an article on Rappler.com.
On Wednesday, May 16, the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) led by President Ahod Balawag “Al-Haj Murad” Ebrahim conducted its General Assembly on Basilan Island to introduce the party to the residents as it laid down its plans moving forward.
Basilan Gov. Hadjiman “Jim” S. Hataman Salliman, a staunch ally of the BARMM leadership, vowed to have the UBJP score “landslide” win in his province in the parliamentary elections, a witness and participant of the assembly relayed to SDN – SciTech & Digital News.
He said the governor emphasized that he has no reason to turn his back to the UBJP because it’s doing well in its leadership of the Bangsamoro region.
During the assembly over 3,000 Basilan local government officials swore allegiance to the UBJP as they took their oath as members.
With Ebrahim, the interim Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), included UBJP Vice President Mohagher M. Iqbal, UBJP Secretary General Abdulraof Macacua, Ministers of Parliament (MPs), BARMM ministers (secretaries), among other party leaders. Iqbal is also an MP and education minister, while Macacua is governor of Maguindanao del Norte, and chief of staff of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front-Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (MILF-BIAF).
Ebrahim said the MILF political arm will continue its preparation for the regional elections as he urged the members on the island to move forward with the rest of the UBJP membership.
On May 6, the UBJP held its General Assembly for its members and supporters in Lanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, and Marawi City held in Poona-Bayabao, Lanao del Sur, with a reported 10,000 attendees, more or less.
On May 11, the Bangsamoro Party (BaPa), headed by BARMM Labor and Employment Minister Muslimin G. Sema, chair of a Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) faction, conducted its first assembly here in the city.
Thousands attended the BaPa event, with supporters and other participants coming from many parts of Mindanao.
UBJP and BaPa are two of the Bangsamoro region’s eight political parties anticipating — and positioning for — the parliamentary political exercise.
The petitioners accused the BEC of encroaching on the functions of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), as well as the High Tribunal’s.
Outside of the petition that is also supported by the Bangsamoro Governors Caucus (BGC), there are several non-government organizations (NGOs) clamoring for the regional elections’ postponement for the second time.
The pro-BTA extension conglomeration of more than 100 NGOs and other stakeholders based in Mindanao have already mounted a campaign seeking the extension for the second time of the transitional phase.
They have already submitted their position paper to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., the Senate and the House of Representatives as they called for support in their campaign.
If successful, their campaign would add another three years to the existence of the Government of the Day under the MILF leadership chaired by Ebrahim.
The Government of the Day has been governing the Bangsamoro region for three years from January 2019 to May 2022, but then it was extended for another three years — 2022 to May 2025, when the first regular parliamentary polls were to have been conducted. It was extended during the administration of then President Rodrigo R. Duterte, considered by BARMM leaders as the “father” and “architect” of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and BARMM.
The eight BARMM political parties are UBJP, Bangsamoro People’s Party (BPP), BaPa, Rayyat Development Party (RDP), Al-Ittihad Mindanawe Darussalam-Ungaya Ku Kawagibu Bangsamoro (Al-Ittihad-UKB), Serbisyong Inklusibo-Alyansang Progressibo (SIAP), Mahardika, and Indigenous Peoples Democratic Party (IPDP) IPDP.
The petitioners against the BEC include the following,
- Dimnatang Pansar
- Abdul Rashid Balindong
- Shariefuddin Lucman
- Aleem Alibasher Abdullatif
- Jamil Paisal Adiong
- Rafnanjani Pendatun Ali
- Mohajeran Balayman
- Najia Pescadera
- Sharif Jul Asiri Abirin
- Abdul Muhaimin Abuhara
- Mohammad Salmann Sakili
- Sarid Hataman
- Harisul Samanul
- Sukarno Asri
- Mohammad Yusof Tidal
Whether the pioneer parliamentary polls in Southern Philippines’ pushes through as scheduled by the Comelec, or not happened, the President had already made his desire in going through with it.
Of course, traditional political leaders of BARMM want it to push through.
In relation with this, UBJP officials led by its president have said that they have to win to continue implementing the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement in the Bangsamoro (CAB).
They are of the idea that if the MILF would not be able to continue its governance, then there’s risks the unimplemented provisions of the landmark peace treaty will be set aside by whoever wins the elections.
“There’s no alternative but win the regional political exercise,” Iqbal had emphasized.
He cited examples in South Africa and Aceh, Indonesia, where former revolutionary groups continue to govern to this day, the African National Congress (ANC) and the Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM) or Free Aceh Movement) groups, respectively, bringing continuity to their leadership. — EDD K. USMAN/SDN (♤)