COTABATO CITY—After endorsing Vice President Leni Robredo for the May 9, 2022 Presidential race, the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has endorsed 12 candidates for senator.
Al-Hadj Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), said the party came up with the consensus to support the candidacy of 12 senatorial aspirants, after much deliberation at a top policy-making level of the party.
He named 12 UBJP bets to the 12 senatorial slots, across national party lines. They are: Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri; Actor Robin Padilla; Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian; Risa Hontiveros; Jel “Tesdaman” Villanueva; Richard Gordon; Loren Legarda; Mark Villar; Samira Gutoc; Chel Diokno; Herbert “Bistek” Bautista; and JV Ejercito.
Ebrahim said the regional party makes choices of candidates, according to what they believe would protect and preserve the gains of the Bangsamoro Peace Process.
Earlier, the MILF’s UBJP hosted a grand rally, anointing Ms. Robredo in Camp Darapanan, Maguindanao on April 23, as its choice to succeed President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang.
Ebrahim is president of the UBJP, officially signalling the former revolutionary group’s participation in the country’s political process, with the idea started as early as 2013. It became a reality officially in 2015.
The UBJP was formed as part of the Annexes to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) entered into between the Philippine Government and the MILF on March 27, 2014–which marked the conclusion of the 17 years peace negotiations between the two erstwhile parties in conflict that pitted Filipinos versus Filipinos.
The UBJP disclosed its choices to support senatorial bets in a press statement sent May 2, to news organizations.
“As a genuinely-principled political party, the UBJP respects the electoral exercise and urges the voting public to exercise their constitutional right of suffrage on May 9, 2022. We join everyone in praying for safe, clean, peaceful and honest elections,” the party said in the statement.