Ex-Comelec chair files COC for district representative

Former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson Sheriff Abas filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for a Bangsamoro parliament seat in Cotabato City on Wednesday, 6 November.

In a interview with local news sites, Abas said he had mixed feelings submitting his candidacy documents to Comelec as he was once the one receiving them.

“Medyo mixed feelings kasi dati ako yung nagre-receive ng COC… ngayon naman ako naman yung magfi-file (Mixed feelings because I used to be the one receiving the COCs… but now I’m the one who’s filing it),” Abas told local reporters.

“After retirement ko, sabi ko masyado na akong napakinabangan ng national government. So it’s a high time na mapakinabangan naman ako ng mga kababayan ko sa aking lugar (After my retirement, I told myself the national government benefitted from me a lot. So it’s a high time to serve my fellowmen),” Abas continued.

Asked what prompted him to run, Abas said to give the people another choice so they would not just opt for the traditional politicians.

“Kung titingnan ninyo sa mundo ng politika, dominated lang ng traditional politicians. So at least mayroon lang choice yung mga tao na ibang mukha at pangalan naman (If you could see the world of politics, it’s dominated by traditional politicals. So we should at least give thr people a choice to choos a new face and name),” he added.

Abas seeks to represent the first parliamentary district of Cotabato City, the regional center of the predominantly Muslim region, which has been allotted two seats in the Bangsamoro parliament.

A lawyer by profession, Abas was the first Comelec commissioner to be elevated to chairperson. He initially joined as commissioner under the late former president Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

Abas also set a record as the youngest to head the poll body, nominated at age 38 by then-President Rodrigo Duterte in 2017, succeeding Andres Bautista.

Confirmed by the Commission on Appointments in 2018, Abas served as Comelec head until his mandatory retirement in 2022, alongside Antonio Kho and Rowena Guanzon.

He was the first Mindanaoan and first Muslim to serve as Comelec chairperson.

If he wins, he will be the first former Comelec chairperson to become a member of the Bangsamoro parliament.

As of Wednesday, there have been 14 aspirants from Lanao del Sur who filed their COCs, four from Maguindanao del Norte, four from Basilan, two from Tawi-tawi, and two from Maguindanao del Sur.

The week-long COC filing started Monday, 4 November, and will be until 9 November.

The first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections are set for 12 May next year, simultaneous with the national and local midterm elections.

A total of 80 seats will be contested in the 2025 Bangsamoro polls, 40 for regional political parties, 32 for parliamentary districts, and eight for sectoral organizations.

There are seven established parliamentary districts in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao parliament, namely Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Cotabato City, the Bangsamoro special geographic area in Cotabato province.

Around two million Bangsamoro voters are expected to cast their votes come election day.