BIWAB members attend voters’ education for historic Bangsamoro parliamentary polls
CAMP DARAPANAN, Maguindanao del Norte (MindaNews / 05 November) – Hundreds of members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Auxiliary Women Forces (BIWAB) attended a voters’ education here yesterday, November 4, amid efforts in the Senate to postpone the first parliamentary election in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in May 2025.
The BIWAB is a non-combatant support group of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the armed wing of the erstwhile rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“It’s vital for women to understand their rights and the electoral process,” explained 36-year-old mother Nabija Jameel. “Without proper voter education, there is a risk of being left behind and unable to exercise our right to vote effectively.”
“We’ve observed a significant knowledge gap regarding the first BARMM parliamentary election,” said Mariam Ali, executive director of the Mindanao Organizations of Social and Economic Progress, Inc. (MOSEP), organizer of the voter education in Camp Darapanan, the MILF’s sprawling headquarters in Sultan Kudarat town.
Senate President Francis Escudero on Monday, November 4, filed a bill seeking to defer the Bangsamoro parliamentary polls from 2025 to 2028 . Senate Bill 2862 seeks to postpone the historic regional elections in view of the Supreme Court ruling excluding Sulu from the region.
“Many are unaware on how to vote or who they are voting for. We are committed to empowering voters whether the election will proceed in May 2025 or not,” Ali said, reacting to Escudero’s bill.
The voter education was attended by around 500 women, conducted by groups in the morning and in the afternoon. It was held in a madrasah (Islamic shcool) inside Camp Darapanan.
The voter education was conducted as regional political parties start filing their intent to participate as well as those seeking district representative seats. The filings will end on November 9.
During the forum, Ali asked a pre-test whether the voters will select the chief minister. Majority answered yes.
Ali explained to them that the chief minister will be voted by members of the parliament, as stipulated in the Bangsamoro Electoral Code (BEC).
“Initially, I thought we will be voting directly the chief minister,” a participant said. “But now I understand the process.”
This is one of the complex topics in the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections that need to be addressed with the voters, Ali said.
The shift to a parliamentary system introduces new concepts and procedures, including the election of district representatives and the complexities of two separate ballots – one for national and local positions, and another for the BARMM parliament.
MOSEP conducted the voter education under the “Activate Bangsamoro 4,” a program funded by The Asia Foundation and the United Kingdom government.
The education materials used in the lecture have been translated into local languages like Maguindanaoan, Maranao, Tausug, Yakan, and Teduray for the comprehension of the different ethnic groups in the region. (Ferdinandh Cabrera / MindaNews)
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