MILF’s political party files bid for BARMM parliamentary elections

MANILA, Philippines — The ruling political party affiliated with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Friday officially filed its intent to participate in the first-ever parliamentary polls in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) president and BARRM parliament chief minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim led the filing of his party’s Certificate of Acceptance of Nomination (CAN) at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) regional office in the Bangsamoro Government Center in Cotabato City.

The UBJP was the fourth regional parliamentary political party (RPPP) to file its CAN for the upcoming polls.

Aside from UBJP, Moro Ako, Progresibong Bangsamoro Party, and Bangsamoro Party also filed their CANs for the polls.

The surge of submissions was observed on Thursday, when 40 aspirants filed their certificate of candidacies (COCs) and CANs.

READ: 40 more aspirants file COCs, CANs for BARMM polls as deadline nears

Furthermore, only four new aspirants filed their COCs, according to Comelec chairman George Erwin Garcia.

Garcia said two of them are from Lanao del Sur, and one each from Tawi-tawi and Maguinadanao del Norte, bringing the total number of filers to 85 as of 5:00 p.m. on Friday.

About 65 seats are up for grabs for the upcoming autonomous polls, of which 25 are allotted for parliamentary district representatives.

READ: COC filing begins for BARMM elections despite postponement calls

The rest or 40 are reserved for regional parliamentary political parties, which is similar to the party-list system.

The COC and CAN filing for BARRM polls began on Nov. 4 and will last until Nov. 9.