Bangsamoro groups hold Murad-led ‘rainbow’ coalition rally at Mendiola

COTABATO CITY — Bangsamoro groups and their supporters will hold a rally at Mendiola in Manila on Thursday, Oct. 22, to urge President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to back a “rainbow parties coalition” led by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim in forming the first regular Bangsamoro government.

The rally, scheduled from 9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., is organized by the Bangsamoro Inter-Religious Leaders for Inclusive Governance (BIRLIG), with the Save Bangsamoro Movement as co-organizer. The groups said the rally will underscore the importance of inclusive political leadership and unity as the region transitions from the interim Bangsamoro Transition Authority to an elected parliament.

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In Cotabato City, BIRLIG has also sought a permit from Mayor Mohammad Ali “Bruce” Matabalao to hold a “Prayer Rally for Peace and Solidarity” at the Cotabato City Plaza on the same day, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.

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In a letter dated Oct. 20 and received by the mayor’s office on Oct. 21, BIRLIG spokesperson Abdul Hannan Tago said the gathering is expected to draw about 10,000 participants from various sectors and will be led by inter-religious leaders committed to fostering peace, inclusivity and good governance.

Tago said the group will coordinate with the city government, the Philippine National Police and other agencies on crowd management, security and public order.

In a media advisory issued Wednesday, the Mendiola rally organizers said they will appeal to the President to “ensure” a Murad-led coalition and urge Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo to help realize the proposed arrangement.

They will also call for peace as the President’s “enduring legacy” to the Filipino and Bangsamoro peoples, and congratulate Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, head of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) and chair of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) Peace Implementing Panel, for his engagement in advancing the GPH-MILF peace process.

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The organizers said the arrangement they seek would advance unity, sustain the peace process, and protect the gains of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the 2014 peace deal between the government and the MILF.

“The rally comes at a critical juncture in the Bangsamoro political transition, with the formation of the regular government carrying significant implications for the future of the peace process,” Datu Tokz Bin Abdulrahman, representative of the co-organizing Save Bangsamoro Movement, said in a statement.

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The organizers called for leadership and political cooperation consistent with the commitments and principles of the CAB.

The Sept. 14 Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections resulted in a hung parliament, after the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP) topped the election, winning 31 seats, short of the number required to form a majority in the 80-member legislature. The BFP is led by interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, while the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) is led by Murad.

The UBJP has proposed a “rainbow coalition” government that would bring together the MILF, Moro National Liberation Front, other elected parties, indigenous peoples and settlers.

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The inaugural session of the Bangsamoro Parliament is set for Oct. 30, when it will elect the chief minister and parliamentary officials. /jpv