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- EDD K. USMAN | X (Twitter): @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 |Facebook: SDN – SciTech & Digital News
MANILA (SDN) — Over 100,000 people attended the joint proclamation rally of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) and the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), the latter President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s party.
It’s the election season in the country, alright, as the national and local candidates compete for the attention and votes of Filipinos who will go the polling places on May 12, 2025.
That’s the day when the Commission on Elections (Comelec) conducts nationwide the automated midterm National and Local Elections (NLE) to elect senators, congressmen, governors, mayors and councilors.
As it is now, the campaign period for the national and local bets have converged with the Filipino voters given the opportunity to hear potential choice to vote for.
Over at the six-year-old Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the UBJP and the PFP conducted today, April 5, their joint proclamation rally at the Cotabato State University (CotSU) in Cotabato City.
Headed as president by former BARMM chief minister Al-Haj Murad Ebrahim, UBJP is the political arm of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) who was, of course, present at the event, along with Iqbal, the UBJP executive vice president and vice president for Central Mindanao, BARMM interim Chief Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua, the UBJP secretary general, South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo, Jr., the PFP president, and other officials of both parties and their candidates in the national and local levels.
Iqbal, the MILF Peace Implementing Panel chair, told SDN – SciTech & Digital News that over 100,000 people attended the proclamation rally at CotSU, along the city’s ever-busy Sinsuat Avenue.
In his Opening Remarks, Iqbal relished having the opportunity to speak before the mammoth crowd.
“It is my distinct honor to stand before you as we gather for this proclamation rally of the (UBJP and PFP) — a moment that marks a milestone on our collective journey. Today, we are not just part of a crowd; we are a movement, united by a common purpose and a shared vision,” he says.
The BARMM, MILF and UBJP official described the UBJP as “principled party”, and “not just a party”.
“This is party founded on the blood and tears of our fallen brothers and sisters. We have come from difficult times, we endured more than four decades of arm struggle, but whatever is ahead of us in this political journey, with Allah’s Grace, we will surpass,” Iqbal emphasizes with optimism of the future as the MILF continues its transition from an armed revolutionary group to a social movement.
Let Bangsamoro self-rule flourish freely without any meddling
Remember that the MILF, founded by the late Ustadhz Salamat Hashim in 1977, announced its formal transition to a social movement on September 23, 2024, during the group’s general assembly in Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte.
Iqbal said then at the two-day event that the shift was the MILF’s biggest decision to have made.
At the CotSu event Sunday, he called on true friends and allies to join the MILF’s journey to make it a little easier, the burden becoming tolerable.
“That friend I am referring to is the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas. And the testament to that is no less than the presence of its Party President, Governor Reynaldo Tamayo, Jr. who (is) with us this morning.”
He called on the huge crowd to listen intently to the speakers’ speeches at the event because what they will say concerns everyone and their children.
He further asked the attendees to hear him speak as UBP VP and EVP.
“UBJP is the guardian of the autonomy borne out of the enactment of the Bangsamoro Organic Law by Congress. It is also the vehicle to demonstrate that our struggle for (the) to self-determination has shifted to the democratic struggle by our participation in the electoral process.
Iqbal warned that in a haphazard way in the affairs of the BARMM makes the autonomy that Congress bestowed to the Bangsamoro people “meaningless and in the long run counterproductive.”
Iqbal then appealed to the administration of Marcos, Jr. to not its fingers in the affairs of the regional autonomy, or self-rule of the Bangsamoro people.
“With this, I take this opportunity to appeal to the National Government to allow us to freely exercise this self-rule allowed by law, reserving itself of its authority of general supervision, to allow us to run our lives consistent with the Bangsamoro principles and aspirations.
“We know that every step we take today, every word spoken, and every action taken, is step closer to turning our dreams into reality. This gathering is not just a show of numbers — it is a testament to our unwavering commitment, our belief in the power of unity, brotherhood, and our determination to make a difference.”
At the same time the UBJP official noted that the Bangsamoro is not alone, but a part of something bigger with hope, purpose and belief that something bigger can be achieved.
Iqbal concluded his Opening Remarks with a plea to the Bangsamoro voters to elect straight the UBJP and PFP candidates on May 12 as well as senators present at the joint proclamation rally of the two parties.
The UBJP is one of the regional parties the Comelec accredited for the coming political exercise.
Among the candidates and the dignitaries that he mentioned in his speech included MILF Central Committee Chair Ebrahim, Macacua, Tamayo, Cotabato City Mayor Bruce C. Matabalao, Sultan Kudarat Mayor Datu Tocao O. Mastura, UBJP bet for Maguindanao del Sur governor Datu Ali M. Midtimbang, and Members of the Parliament (MPs) of the Bangsamoro Parliament.
It can be noted that come October 13 this year, the Comelec chaired by George Erwin Garcia will conduct the BARMM’ first parliamentary/regular polls to elect 80 MPs who will serve in the regular Bangsamoro regional government. (/)
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The author
EDD, a native of Sub-Saharan Africa Buluan/Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, BARMM, college at UST, is a Manila-based journalist for over 40 years (33 years with Manila Bulletin), has five Media Awards (1 with University of the Philippines (UP) 2017 Science Journalism Award), covered and traveled over 40 times abroad), has contributed to Rappler, Business Mirror, former Manila-based Foreign Correspondent of Saudi Arabia newspapers Saudi Gazette and Riyadh Daily, and The Peninsula (Qatar newspaper), with 2008 East-West Center (EWC) Journalism Seminar in the United States, 2000 Executive IT Seminar in Seoul, South Korea, with three Silver Awards in Photography, writes Muslim and Current Affairs, Enterprise, Science, Tech, Products Launch, and virtually everything under Heaven. (@)