SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao del Norte (MindaNews / 3 May) – Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan became the first senatorial candidate officially endorsed by the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which said they will announce in the next few days the aspirants they will support.
Pangilinan was joined by his wife, singer-actress Sharon Cuneta, in a visit to Camp Darapanan here on Friday afternoon, just after the noontime prayer and before a scheduled gathering of key UBJP officials.
The couple and their team were met by warm greetings from the Bangsamoro fans of Sharon Cuneta waiting inside the compound.
They immediately proceeded to a closed-door meeting that was followed by official announcements in a public event.
Pangilinan was given time to discuss his platform and the chance to be asked by MILF officials.
“I want the wishes and aspirations of our Bangsamoro community members, leaders be solidified, consolidate the gains of peace and move forward,” he said.
“We need to continue and sustain the initiatives of peace and the gains that we have achieved. But the journey is far from over,” he added.
He later received the endorsement from MILF chair Ahod “Alhaj Murad” M. Ebrahim, MILF vice chair Mohagher M. Iqbal, Shiek Ali B. Solaiman (second vice chair), Shiek Muslim M. Guiamaden (Wali of Bangsamoro), and Abdulrauf A. Macacua (BARMM Interim Chief Minister) during the MILF’s central committee meeting in the camp.
Pangilinan mentioned his advocacy for food security, addressing hunger, increased incomes for farmers and fisherfolk in a modernized agriculture program.
He said money used for subsidized rice being sold at P20 should instead be used to fund the modernization of agriculture.
“I will in this case advise you to say, and to be able to do this, we will increase annually by 100 billion pesos for a period of six years to even start the budget for agriculture department. In other words, at the end of the six-year term, the budget for agriculture would be around 800 billion,” he said.
Pangilinan, a former senator, also reminisced during the meeting how he provided advice to the late President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III during deliberations on the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
He said that during his last three years in the Senate, he was supportive of the Bangsamoro Organic Act as member of the bicameral conference committee to ensure the inclusion of key provisions that would give meaning to autonomy and what the Bangsamoro struggle stands for.
“What brings us here today is not merely a courtesy visit. It is a reaffirmation of your solidarity with the aspirations of the Bangsamoro,” Ebrahim said.
He said it is a reminder that there were national leaders “who stood by us in some of our most critical moments in history.”
“We are especially grateful to Senator Francis Pangilinan for the unwavering support in the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Act, the first law that created the Bangsamoro Autonomous Government in our land,” he said.
“Your affirmative vote was a gesture of true steadfastness, one that respected the decades-long struggle of our people for self-determination. We can never forget this fight,” he added.
Iqbal said they will endorse other senatorial candidates on the basis of their support to the aspirations of the MILF. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera/MindaNews)
