COTABATO CITY — Leaders from across the Bangsamoro provinces, who once disliked each other over extreme political differences, converged in Marawi City on Sunday and launched a peace coalition in preparation for next year’s first ever parliamentary elections in the autonomous region.
The event, held at the Sarimanok Stadium in Marawi City on Sunday morning, was attended by Governors Hadji Abdusakur Mahail Tan Sr. of Sulu, Mariam Sangki of Maguindanao del Sur, Mamintal Alonto Adiong Jr. of Lanao del Sur, Basilan Rep. Mujiv Salliman Hataman, Marawi City Mayor Majul Usman Gandamra and the executive-director of the Technical Skills Education and Development Authority, Suharto Tan Mangudadatu.
Hataman had served as regional governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao that got replaced with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao via a plebiscite in 2019 while Mangudadatu was former governor of Sultan Kudarat province in Region 12.
The first-ever regional parliamentary polls in the Bangsamoro region is slated in May next year, simultaneous with the countrywide municipal, city, provincial and senatorial elections.
The public officials present in the gathering in Marawi City took turns telling more than 20,000 guests from across the autonomous region that they have grouped themselves together as the BARMM Grand Coalition, or BGC, which is aiming to boost governance by the Bangsamoro regional government via essential technical, administrative and political interventions.
Sunday’s symbolic event was organized by the regional Serbisyong Inklusibo Alyansang Progresibo, or SIAP party, whose chairman is Lanao del Sur Vice Gov. Mohammad Khalid Rakiin Adiong.
“I am grateful to the influential leaders from across the six provinces and three cities of the Bangsamoro region who came over to pledge support for this colossal coalition,” Adiong said.
His patriarch, who is incumbent Lanao del Sur governor, cooperated in hosting the activity, along with Gandamra, the Mangudadatu couple, Tan and Hataman, radio reports here on Monday stated.
The Mangudadatus also have their regional political party, the Al-Ittihad, that also has thousands of members in Bangsamoro towns in Central Mindanao.
BARMM covers Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi and the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato.
Marawi is the capital of Lanao del Sur that has 39 vote-rich towns.