COTABATO CITY, Philippines – The numbers were not on former Bangsamoro interim chief minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim’s side on Wednesday, October 21. Only 25 newly elected regional lawmakers showed up for the oath-taking of his United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP).

UBJP’s main rival earlier claimed more than enough signatures behind its bid to control the incoming Parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). But Murad’s party is not ready to concede the race for Bangsamoro’s top leadership post.

The contest pits Murad, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), against BARMM interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, whose Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP) claimed to have secured a majority coalition ahead of the October 30 vote to choose the Muslim-majority region’s first elected leader.

The contrast was difficult to ignore at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex, where the MILF’s political party held its oath-taking ceremony, especially after 46 newly elected members of parliament reportedly signed the coalition agreement backing Macacua, erstwhile MILF top commander and Murad’s former subordinate in the interim Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA). 

Yet the UBJP, which counts at least 30 incoming MPs among its members, said attendance at its oath-taking ceremony was not a definitive measure of its support ahead of the parliamentary vote.

“Anyone can release projections for numbers, and until D-Day arrives for the election of the speaker and the chief minister, everything is still possible,” said UBJP secretary-general and spokesperson Mohajirin Ali.

Only 25 of 30 lawmakers-elect listed under the UBJP attended the ceremony on Wednesday because of health concerns and other reasons, Ali said.

“It doesn’t mean that if you’re absent here, you’re not part of the party; that would be unfair to them,” Ali told a news conference.

The 80-member Bangsamoro Parliament is scheduled to elect its speaker and chief minister when it convenes by the end of the month. Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law, a candidate for chief minister needs at least 41 votes to secure a simple majority.

The September parliamentary elections produced no clear majority, prompting rival political camps to negotiate alliances to secure control of the regional government. The BFP’s claim of a 46-member bloc gives Macacua a projected majority, while Murad’s UBJP is still seeking to retain its influence in the government.

Ali said UBJP members who took their oaths elsewhere, including in Lanao del Sur and at the Supreme Court, or submitted formal notices explaining health-related absences remained part of the party.

He cautioned against interpreting UBJP members’ attendance at gatherings or coalition discussions hosted by rival groups as a sign of defection, describing such interactions as normal political engagement while parties kept communication lines open.

Asked about possible defections or abstentions in the leadership vote, Ali said party-list and sectoral representatives were bound by party discipline, while district representatives had to consider the interests of their constituencies.

He said political turncoatism is a violation under the Bangsamoro Electoral Code.

Ali also said it was expected that the incoming regional government would take the form of a “coalition of parties” rather than a traditional “rainbow coalition,” as no single party had won an absolute majority, and a stable administration would require cooperation among political forces.

Murad’s call

Meanwhile, Murad called for unity, discipline and collective responsibility, warning that personal ambitions and political disagreements should not take precedence over public service.

“Do not allow personal interests to weaken our collective purpose. Do not allow political disagreement to distract us from our responsibilities, and do not allow the pursuit of individual recognition to overshadow the vision that brought us together,” Murad told a crowd on Wednesday.

He said public office should not be used to advance personal or family interests, but should serve communities that have endured deprivation, injustice and uncertainty.

Murad also reminded the crowd that the region’s political transformation was a result of generations of sacrifice and resilience as he paid tribute to “martyrs,” Islamic scholars, civil society groups, women, young people and ordinary citizens who had endured conflict and hardship in the struggle for the Bangsamoro people’s homeland, faith and identity.

“The attainment of political autonomy is not the end of our struggle. It is the beginning of a greater responsibility,” Ebrahim said. “The true challenge today is not just preserving the power granted to us, but turning the gains of the peace process into tangible improvements in everyday lives.” – Rappler.com