Christian candidates supported by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) through a local party-based campaign with its newly-organized United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) have been proclaimed.
The City Board of Canvassers proclaimed mayoral candidate Mohammad Ali “Bruce” Dela Cruz Matabalao, and running-mate Butch Abu as city mayor- and vice-mayor-elect of Cotabato City, as of early Thursday.
Both are bets of the UBJP. Seven of their party-mates were also proclaimed winner of the 10-seat Sangguniang Panlunsod. Matabalao is raised of mixed Muslim-Christian family while Florante Formento, who tops the City Council race, is a Christian, while Henjie Monte Ramos Ali is also of Muslim and Christian parents.
Under the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the MILF pioneers an inclusive governing council in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), composed of its selected leaders and members of the Moro National Liberation Front; as well as the sectors of the Christian Settlers and Indigenous People’s Tribes; Women and Differently-Abled Persons, as well as representation of the Traditional Moro Leadership and the business community.
The latest tallies showed that veteran broadcaster Florante “Popoy” Formento, brother of former dzRH reporter Bing Formento, topped the City Council race (33,5482 votes); followed by Hunyn Abu (29,1203); Marouf Pasawiran (28,205); Jayjay Guiani (28,099); Abdulkarim Usman (27,693) Guiadzuri Midtimbang (26,608); Kusin Taha (26,193); Henjie Cruz Ali 25,570; Dr. Danda Juanday 25,546; Addillah Lim (24,417).
Officials had endeavored halting the day’s imminent proclamation, citing alleged instances of fraud shared on social media messengers, and which were followed up later in a press conference hosted by UniTeam City Council candidate Dr. Danda Juanday. City Mayor Cynthia Guiani Sayadi also went live on Facebook on the same note on Thursday.
UBJP candidates, who won the elective posts of mayor, vice-mayor and seven of the 10 seats in the City Council, said they “will answer should there be formal charges filed in proper forum.”
In multimedia interviews right after the at SP proclamation ceremony, Matabalao vowed to work for stronger inter-governmental collaborations so the city government can effectively access funding resources allocated by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) for rehabilitation and concreting of provincial and city roads.
Images and videos of alleged acts committed for electoral frauds have circulated on social media purporting that they occurred in Cotabato City. Lawyers of both camps, though, have ostensibly agreed on having to probe the circumstances of the images and videos as to location and identities of persons shown in it and when and where it happened, and as to how could they be “connected to the ballots” of the April 5 polling, according to an election official serving in another region.