COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 17 February) – The United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), flexed its political muscles Saturday, February 17, expressing hopes it can win majority of the seats in the first Bangsamoro parliamentary election scheduled in May 2025 to protect and sustain the gains of the Bangsamoro peace process.
Thousands gathered at the Cotabato State University here on Saturday morning for the first UBJP general assembly, where they swore to support and follow the ideology, principles and aspiration of the party for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
An election was also held where Bangsamoro Interim Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim, the MILF chairman, was reelected as party president.
Speaking in mixed Filipino and Maguindanaoan, Ebrahim, who led the gathering attended by members not only from the mainland but also from the island-provinces and outside BARMM, stressed the meeting signals the start of their preparation for the party to win parliamentary seats in next year’s regional election.
“Mahalaga ang magiging resulta ng unang parliamentary elections sa 2025, dahil nakasalalay dito hindi lamang ang mga nakalaang composition ng parliament, kundi pati narin ng pagpapatuloy sa nasimulan nating usaping pangkapayapaan na nagbunga na ng mga reporma sa pulitika at sistema ng pamamahala ng gobyerno,” he said in his speech.
[The result of the first parliamentary election in 2025 is important. It will not only shape the composition of the parliament but will also determine the sustainability of the peace process that has borne fruits with the reforms we initiated in politics and system of governance.)
“Higit sa lahat nakasalalay dito ang kinabukasan ng ating pinakamamahal na Bangsamoro homeland,” he added.
[Most of all, the future of our beloved Bangsamoro homeland depends (on the results of the election).]
The Bangsamoro region will end its six-year transitional government on June 30, 2025, when the newly elected Members of Parliament shall have taken their oath of office.
With the filing of certificates of candidacy in November or eight months away from now, Ebrahim told reporters that they are now choosing their candidates for the parliamentary elections, which will simultaneously be held with the midterm national and local elections.
“Yung mga incumbent ay bibigyan ng pagkakataon din (Our incumbent (parliament) members will still be given the chance to seek office) . We are officially undergoing the selection process for the coming election,” he told reporters after the general assembly that ended at noon time.
Under the Bangsamoro Electoral Code (BEC) enacted by the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) or the interim body that governs the BARMM, the 80-member Parliament that would be elected in May 2025 is composed of 40 party representatives, 32 district representatives and eight sectoral representatives.
The BTA is currently dominated by the MILF with 41 seats. The 39 are nominees of the government.
The BEC also required a regional political party to have 10,000 members as a requirement for accreditation.
Last December, Datu Michael Mastura, former representative of the first district of Maguindanao and former member and senior legal adviser of the MILF peace panel, petitioned the Supreme Court to declare as unconstitutional several provisions of the BEC, including the requirement on 10,000 membership and and the high voting threshold of 4% for political parties to be entitled to a seat in the BARMM’s party representation system.
Mastura argued the additional qualifications and requirements for political parties allegedly violate the Constitutional guarantees of equal access to public service and equal protection, and the citizens’ fundamental right of freedom of association.
His petition-in-intervention followed the case filed by Atty. Dimnatang Pansar, et al in June 2023 for the SC to declare the BEC unconstitutional on similar grounds.
Ebrahim did not discuss the SC case, but told reporters their “party now has over 20,000 members.”
However, he called on the Commission on Elections to approve the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the BEC. It was submitted to the Comelec last November 21.
For his part, Mohagher Iqbal, who was elected UBJP executive vice president, described the general assembly as one of the “significant events” in the Bangsamoro region since it was created in January 2019.
“Ngayong araw hindi lang ito simpleng pagpa-pakita ng presensya ng bawat isa, bagkos sa pagtititpon ngayon ay naipapakita natin na tayo ay nagkakaisa at nagsusuportahan. Ito ang patunay na nag UBJP ay nananatiling malakas na Partido sa rehiyon,” he told the crowd.
[Today is not just a simple show of showing our presence but a proof that we are united and supportive of each other. This is a testament that UBJP remains a relevant party in the region.]
He said the presence and support of the members give the party leadership “strength and inspiration.”
Besides Ebrahim and Iqbal, who is also vice president for Central Mindanao, the new set of UBJP officers are:
Matarul Estino – vice president for BASULTA with Zamboanga City
Sheikh Ali Solaiman – vice president for Northern Mindanao
Dr. Mohammad Yacob – vice president for Southern Mindanao
Malik Caril – vice president for Zamboanga Peninsula
Husseim Muñoz – vice president for Eastern Mindanao
Abdullah Hashim – vice president for youth
Engr. Aida Silongan – vice president for women
Atty. Mary Ann Arnado – vice president for settler communities
Ramon Piang Sr. – vice president for indigenous peoples
Datu Antao Midtimbang – vice president for traditional leaders
Sheikh Abdulwahab Pak – vice president for Ulama
Abdulraof Macacua – secretary general
Architect Edgar Guerra – treasurer
Engr. Mohajirin Ali – information officer
Ebrahim urged the UBJP members to heed the call of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to make the parliamentary election historic through the conduct of a peaceful, honest and credible elections.
Marcos issued the pronouncement during the 17th Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) meeting between the national and Bangsamoro governments on February 8.
Ebrahim said the UBJP will be campaigning with a battlecry centered on “justice and moral governance.”
He also pinned his hopes on the youth, which according to him make up 50 percent of the voters in the country, to make UBJP victorious in next year’s parliamentary election.
“Let this be your battle now. This is not already for us. This is for your future, for your children and the next generations,” Ebrahim said.At some points of the assembly, the crowd, many clad in green, chanted “ UBJP, your party, our party.” (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
