Ex-BARMM Interior minister Sinarimbo files COC for regional parliamentary polls

Lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo (right), former MILG-BARMM minister, files his certificate of candidacy as representative for the 2nd parliamentary district of Cotabato City. With him (left) is Member of Parliament Romeo Sema, who is gunning the 1st parliamentary district of Cotabato City, running against former Comelec Chairman Sheriff Abas. MindaNews photo by FERDINANDH CABRERA

COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 08 November) — The former Interior minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will run for a seat in the regional parliament in the May 2025 elections.

Lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) on Thursday for representative of the second parliamentary district of Cotabato City under Serbisyong Inklusibo-Alyansang Progresibo, one of the parties that formed the Bangsamoro Grand Coalition.

Member of Parliament and former BARMM Labor minister Romeo Sema, Sinarimbo’s counterpart in the city’s first parliamentary district, also filed his COC on Thursday.

“Our city needs progress with a unified direction. We need stronger and clearer policies for all projects to ensure unified progress, not just in our city but also in neighboring towns. This alliance will help us achieve that,” Sinarimbo said.

He expressed confidence that his tandem with Sema will bring numerous opportunities to the city.

Dick Datumanong filed Wednesday his COC for second district representative as an independent candidate.

The United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the political party of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, is expected to field a candidate against Sinarimbo and Datumanong.

Meanwhile, Sema will face former Comelec chair Sheriff Abas, who filed on Wednesday his COC as UBJP’s candidate for the first district.

November 4-9 is the schedule of filing of COCs for the first regional parliamentary elections.  (Ferdinand Cabrera/MindaNews)