MILF backs Robredo for president

THE POLITICAL party of a former Muslim rebel group that had signed a peace deal and is now leading the transitional government in the Bangsamoro region in the country’s south on Saturday endorsed the presidential run of Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” G. Robredo.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) made the endorsement on the 57th birth anniversary of Ms. Robredo, who was welcomed by Bangsamoro officials in March during a visit to the regional seat of government.

MILF chairman and Bangsamoro Chief Minister Murad B. Ebrahim said at a media event that Ms. Robredo and the UBJP are compatible in terms of values and principles, based on a video posted on Facebook.

The May 9 voting will be the first national and local electoral exercise where the UBJP will be participating as an accredited political party, decades after the MILF launched its rebellion for autonomy in the mid-1970s.

The party’s establishment manifests MILF’s transition from armed revolution to peaceful political participation in governance.

At the same event, the political party’s candidate for Maguindanao governor, 2nd District Representative Esmael “Toto” G. Mangudadatu, announced his support for Ms. Robredo.

In February, Mr. Mangudadatu and his allies backed the candidacy of Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” M. Domagoso.

Mr. Mangudadatu switched to Ms. Robredo after she and her running mate Senator Francis N. Pangilinan have attracted thousands of supporters in their campaign rallies across the country, which led political observers to say that the opposition tandem is now gaining momentum.

The Maguindanao lawmaker has yet to clarify whether he’s still supporting the vice-presidential run of Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio.

Decades of conflict between the government and Muslim rebels have obstructed development in most parts of what is now the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The administration of the late President Benigno S.C. Aquino III, who endorsed Ms. Robredo in the 2016 vice-presidential race, laid down the foundation for the creation of the BARMM through a peace deal agreement signed in March 2014.

The consequent Bangsamoro Organic Law signed by Mr. Duterte in July 2018 paved the way for BARMM’s establishment.

In the 2016 vice-presidential race, Ms. Robredo got 566,455 votes in the now-defunct ARMM, against the 331,762 votes received by the late dictator’s son Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr.

At that time, ARMM had about 1.86 million registered voters with a high 82.23% actual turnout. For this year’s elections, BARMM’s registered voters had increased to 2.58 million.

At least four massacres of Muslim communities under the elder Marcos’ martial rule gave rise and strengthened the Moro armed resistance in southern Philippines.

Marcos Jr. already got the endorsements of four out of the five BARMM provincial incumbent governors who are all running for reelection. These are:

Sulu’s Abdusakur “Sakur” Mahail Tan, Tawi-Tawi’s Yshmael “Mang” Sali, Maguindanao’s Mariam S. Mangudadatu, and Lanao del Sur’sn Mamintal “Bombit” Alonto Adiong Jr.

The only governor in the Muslim region to back Ms. Robredo’s candidacy is Basilan’s Hadjimn “Jim” S. Hataman-Salliman. His brother, former ARMM governor and current Basilan Rep. Mujiv S. Hataman, has also endorsed Ms. Robredo.