SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao del Norte (MindaNews / 3 May) – Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan became the first senatorial candidate officially endorsed by the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which announced it will reveal additional supported candidates in the coming days. Pangilinan, accompanied by his wife, singer-actress Sharon Cuneta, visited Camp Darapanan on Friday afternoon, where they were warmly greeted by Bangsamoro fans. The couple attended a closed-door meeting with MILF officials, followed by a public event where Pangilinan outlined his platform, emphasizing food security, hunger alleviation, and modernized agriculture. He proposed increasing the agriculture budget by 100 billion pesos annually over six years, aiming for an 800-billion-peso allocation. Pangilinan, a former senator, highlighted his role in supporting the Bangsamoro Organic Act and his advisory role to the late President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III during the Bangsamoro Basic Law deliberations. MILF chair Ahod “Alhaj Murad” M. Ebrahim and other leaders endorsed Pangilinan, praising his unwavering support for the Bangsamoro struggle and the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Act. Ebrahim emphasized the importance of national leaders who stood by the Bangsamoro during critical moments, while MILF vice chair Mohagher M. Iqbal stated that future endorsements would be based on candidates’ support for MILF aspirations.
