Ex-MILF Spokesperson Questions Firearms at Group's Assembly, Cites Election Ban Violation

COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines — A former official of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Friday slammed the erstwhile rebel group for allegedly violating the election gun ban imposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) when heavily armed members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) showed up during its gathering in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte on Thursday, Sept. 3. The BIAF is the MILF’s military wing that is set for decommissioning in keeping with the 2014 peace deal. Abunawas Maslamama, who used to be BIAF spokesperson under the pseudonym Von Al Haq, said the open display and carrying of firearms during the BIAF Grand Assembly at the MILF headquarters in Camp Darapanan was a violation of the election gun ban that has been in effect for the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections. “They were in full battle gear, brandishing firearms as shown on social media and during live streaming of the front’s assembly,” Maslamama said in a social media post. Maslamama was also the BIAF intelligence chief before he was removed from the post on Thursday. He also lambasted the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the MILF’s regional political party, for joining the BIAF assembly and turned the event as a political rally. “This is an MILF event and it happened inside the MILF camp so there was no violation of election gun ban, no violation of ceasefire agreement,” a BIAF commander said in another social media post in response to Maslamama’s claim. Maslamama, who also served as senior minister of BARMM when MILF Chief Al Haj Murad Ebrahim was the chief minister, urged the Comelec to issue clarification on the concerns he aired to avoid confusion as the elections draw near. Maslamama left UBJP and joined the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP), now headed by Bangsamoro interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua. /cb