MILF takes next step to polls, seeks Comelec nod for party

COTABATO CITY—The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has taken the next step to its foray into politics, submitting an application for accreditation at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for a political party formed by MILF leaders and members.

MILF on Tuesday announced that it had already submitted its application for accreditation at the Comelec for the political group United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP).

Sammy Al-Mansoor, MILF’s military chief, did not say when the accreditation documents had been submitted but that the group had already registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), one of the requirements of the Comelec for accreditation.

Al-Mansoor, also UBJP secretary general, said the MILF-led political party’s first task is to campaign for ratification of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which would create a new autonomous system to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The proposed law, if passed by Congress and signed by President Aquino, would be put to a vote in a plebiscite before its provisions, especially on creating a new autonomous region, could be implemented.

The creation of a new autonomous region is the key feature of a peace agreement between MILF and the administration of President Aquino.

Al-Mansoor said UBJP would have a general assembly on

Dec. 23-25 which would be open to even non-MILF members.

He said MILF is organizing the assembly “to prove that

UBJP is now in business.”

UBJP, he said, would gather at least 25,000 MILF members “to educate them on the country’s electoral system.”

“If we want to sustain this political party, we need to prove that it is really existing,” he said.

MILF had announced the creation of a political party as early as March.

Mohaqher Iqbal, the MILF chief negotiator and chair of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), said the UBJP might affiliate with a national political party.

He said the party would field candidates in the elections that would be held for positions in the future Bangsamoro region.

Al-Mansoor said MILF, through UBJP, is establishing a network of supporters, even as it expects to enlist more community-based volunteers in Basilan, Lanao Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

Simeon Datumanong, former Maguindanao representative, said in a paper submitted to members of the House committee studying the BBL that the proposed law would pass legal and constitutional scrutiny.

In his paper, Datumanong said the Constitution allows Congress to determine the kind of government—parliamentary or unitary—for the autonomous region.

“The choice of Congress to create a parliamentary form of government within the Bangsamoro is well within its plenary authority,” said Datumanong’s paper.

“It is an exercise of its absolute legislative discretion and wisdom,” it said. Edwin Fernandez and Nash Maulana, Inquirer Mindanao