AHEAD of the September 2026 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE), the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is facing the possibility of being charged with committing election offenses.
This after an Opposition to the Petition for Registration as a Regional Parliamentary Political Party (RPPP) was filed at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) against the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP).
In the eight-page Opposition to the Petition, Sahabudin Panambulan Usop asked the Comelec to consider filing election offense cases against the political party following a full blown investigation on the actions and declarations of the UBJP.
"Petitioner most respectfully prays that this Honorable Commission declare that the UBJP has violated election laws and regulations," Usop said.
"Petitioner most respectfully prays that this Honorable Commission order the Law Department to conduct a preliminary investigation for possible election law violations against the officers of the UBJP," he added.
According to the petition, UBJP has violated the election gun ban, as well as proscription against violence.
"The UBJP, through its members, supporters, and leaders, displayed firearms during political assemblies for the 2025 National and Local Elections within the election period, and maintains forces without prior Comelec authority. This constitutes a violation of Section 261(q) and (u) of the Omnibus Election Code," said the petitioner.
"The MILF's suspension of decommissioning, leaving over 14,000 combatants armed, further demonstrates that the UBJP, as the political vehicle of the MILF, maintains an armed capability inconsistent with a commitment to peaceful political processes," it added.
In addition, the petitioner also alleged that the UBJP violated the ban on accepting foreign contributions as provided by election laws.
"The UBJP owns and controls iHH Insani Yardim Vakfi Ugur Suleyman, located at Tamontaka, Cotabato City. This Foundation serves as a conduit for foreign financial contributions, specifically from Turkish governmental and quasi-governmental entities, for the benefit of the UBJP," he said.
"Such receipt of foreign funding constitutes a direct violation of Sections 81 and 95(h) of the Omnibus Election Code. The prohibition against foreign funding is absolute and admits of no exceptions," added Usop.
UBJP registration
Relative to the forthcoming BPE, the petitioner expressed opposition to UBJP's bid to participate in the forthcoming September 14 polls.
Usop asked the Comelec to deny the bid of the UBJP to be registered as an RPPP.
"This honorable commission, as the guardian of the electoral process, must rigorously enforce the registration requirements for RPPPs," said the petitioner.
"Wherefore, petitioner most respectfully prays that this honorable commission deny the Petition for Registration as an RPPP filed by the UBJP," Usop added.
'Indispensable' UBJP
For their part, UBJP president Al Haj Murad Ebrahim said the participation of their party in the BPE can be considered "indispensable."
In a statement, Ebrahim said holding the BPE sans the UBJP would be unimaginable as the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm) is linked to the MILF.
"There is no parliamentary election if there is no Barmm. There is no Barmm without the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). There is no CAB without the MILF," said Ebrahim.
"UBJP’s participation in the coming election is indispensable," he added.
On Tuesday, April 28, Ebrahim led the UBJP submission of its Sworn List of Authorized Signatories before the commission as required for the BPE.
Aside from Ebrahim, tapped as authorized signatories for the UBJP are executive vice president Mohagher Iqbal and vice president Matarul Estino. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)
