BARMM polls: Tawi-Tawi gov, 10 mayors back new political party
COTABATO CITY — The Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP) has gained the support of Tawi-Tawi Gov. Yshmael “Mang” Sali and 10 of the province’s 11 mayors in its bid to gain seats in the historic Bangsamoro parliamentary elections on September 14, the party said.
Member of Parliament Naguib Sinarimbo, BFP spokesperson, said Sali and the 10 mayors expressed full support for the party and its parliamentary district candidates during the group’s campaign kickoff in the province on Sunday.
In a statement on Tuesday, Sinarimbo said that an estimated 5,000 BFP supporters from various parts of Tawi-Tawi attended the campaign kickoff, demonstrating what party organizers described as “broad support for the BFP and its candidates in the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections.”
READ: Lanao del Sur parliamentary aspirants sign peace covenant
Sinarimbo said the participation of the governor and the municipal mayors underscored the growing support of local political leaders for the BFP and its candidates as the campaign for the Sept. 14 parliamentary elections heats up.
The BFP, which was formed only last March, said the local leaders’ support “reflects their desire for effective and responsible representation for Tawi-Tawi in the next Bangsamoro Parliament.”
For the first time on September 14, the electorate in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will elect the 80 members of the parliament.
Among those vying for seats is the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the political party of the erstwhile rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF inked the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in 2014, which mandated the establishment of the Bangsamoro region, which was realized in 2019 after the ratification of Republic Act 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
The CAB’s political aspect requires the conduct of parliamentary elections to replace the interim officials of the transition government appointed by the President of the Philippines./coa
