BARMM Grand Coalition open to coalition-building
COTABATO CITY – The BARMM Grand Coalition (BGC) on Tuesday indicated its openness for coalition-building with other major political parties in the region for the regular parliament that will start official functions on October 30.
BGC is the regional political party with the third most number of seats won, after the supposedly administration-aligned Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP) and United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)
“Our collective vision as a coalition is clear: that BGC is willing to work with UBJP and BFP, come together, and build a united front for the Bangsamoro,” Member of Parliament-elect Amir Mawallil, BGC spokesperson, said in a statement.
The coalition won 15 seats in the Sept. 14 BARMM parliamentary elections – eight BGC party seats, six district representatives from SIAP Party and one from Al-Ittihad party.
The BFP won 31 seats while UBJP got 30.
The BGC appears to be the “game-changer” to form the Government of the Day, or the group with a dominant majority.
Mawallil said BGC recognizes and respects the mandate expressed by the Bangsamoro people in the recently concluded elections.
“We remain committed to the principles, programs, and aspirations we presented throughout the campaign: a peaceful, inclusive, accountable, and progressive Bangsamoro Government that serves all our people,” he said.
He added that the BGC recognizes the urgency of convening the Parliament, electing the chief minister, and forming a government ready to serve the people.
“We recognize the call for parties in Parliament to work together. Despite political differences, the BGC remains committed to finding common ground and building a united front for the Bangsamoro,” he said.
Mawallil, who served as Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) member from 2022 to 2025, said the BGC believes that the next step should begin with a dialogue.
“We intend to engage the leaders of the other political parties in sincere and constructive discussions, not simply to negotiate positions, but to listen to one another, understand our respective perspectives, and identify areas where we can work together,” he said.
As a coalition, he said, the BGC intends to explore with other political parties ways to evolve a cohesive and inclusive regional government with special focus on the representation and participation of the Moro National Liberation Front and other political parties.
He also assured BGC’s support to fast-track the implementation of the peace agreements, particularly normalization and decommissioning under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
Mawallil said the BGC also wants accountability for the violence and irregularities in the last elections.
He said BGC leaders Governor Mamintal “Bombit” Adiong Jr. (Lanao del Sur), Governor Mujiv Hataman (Basilan), former Governor and TESDA Secretary Suharto “Teng” Mangudadatu (sultan Kudarat), and Vice Governor Abdusakur Tan (Sulu) will lead these dialogues with the leaders of other political parties.
“We believe this process demonstrates one of the defining strengths of parliamentary democracy: elections establish representation, while dialogue, consensus-building, and cooperation make effective government possible,” the BGC spokesperson said.
Mawallil noted that beyond forming a government, “this is an opportunity to strengthen our autonomous institutions and show that political differences can be resolved through democratic processes, mutual respect, and a common commitment to the welfare of our people.” /gsg
The post BARMM Grand Coalition open to coalition-building appeared first on Inquirer.net.