What used to be the largest Muslim rebel group in the Philippines participated in its very first election on May 9, fielding candidates in key electoral battles in the newly created autonomous Bangsamoro region in the country’s south.
The Philippines cannot afford another security problem. There are outside forces waiting for things to explode in the south. Pro-Islamic State militant forces are looking for the next region to destabilize. It could be Mindanao. Let’s hope it’s not.
Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan on Monday called for the passage of a new electoral code to allow the first-ever election in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to push through in 2022.
Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan rejected the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s push to extend its rule in the new autonomous region in the southern Philippines, belittling the former rebels’ ability to govern, and saying they should seek a mandate in the 2022 elections.
The largest Muslim rebel group in the Philippines is pushing for a three-year extension of the interim Bangsamoro government, fearing it may not finish key reforms under a landmark peace accord and will not have enough to show to voters in the 2022 elections.