COTABATO CITY — The Second Division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has canceled the certificate of candidacy (COC) of an aspirant under the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), for the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections on Sept. 14.
In a decision dated July 1, the Comelec Second Division granted the petition filed by Rafsanjani Pendatun Ali, which sought the cancellation of the candidacy of Anwar Salipada Alamada, UBJP’s candidate in the 5th district of Maguindanao del Sur.
According to the poll body, the petition sufficiently established that Alamada “made a false material representation in his COC.” As a result, the Second Division ordered the cancellation of his COC under SPA No. 26-003 (BPE).
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The decision, however, is not yet final and still subject to appeal.
Ali, a candidate of the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP), said that Alamada is not a resident of Barangay Kudal, Pagalungan in Maguindanao del Sur. Pagalungan is one of the 10 towns under Maguindanao del Sur’s 5th parliamentary district.
In a statement, Alamada’s legal counsel, lawyer Badrodin Mangindra, stressed that the legal battle on his client’s candidacy is far from over.
“The candidacy of Anwar Alamada continues. Please don’t celebrate just yet,” Mangindra said, referring to the petitioner.
The lawyer explained that his legal team will pursue all available remedies to uphold Alamada’s right to run for office. He said they will file a Motion for Reconsideration before the Comelec en banc to challenge the Second Division’s decision.
If the poll body decides to affirm the Second Division’s decision, Mangindra said they can still elevate the case to the Supreme Court, he added.
He also underscored the importance of public support throughout the legal proceedings and urged Alamada’s supporters to remain vigilant against misinformation.
For now, Alamada’s camp is urging its supporters not to lose hope. They also asserted that despite the pending legal issues, Alamada remains on the ballot and occupies the No. 1 spot on the list of candidates, pending the final resolution of his appeal.
The third candidate is Nasser Dalgan, an independent aspirant. /das
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