COTABATO CITY -- Calls are intensifying for Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace panel chairman Mohagher Iqbal to stop allegedly interfering in the upcoming Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections, with critics accusing him of trying to delay the region’s transition to self-governance.
An opinion column published by the Cotabato Column identified Iqbal as a central figure working to block the first-ever parliamentary elections in the autonomous region, scheduled for this September.
The column argued that after seven years under the transitional government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) residents deserve the chance to elect their own leaders.
According to the piece, Iqbal is seeking an injunction from the Supreme Court to challenge a districting law passed by the Bangsamoro Parliament. The column claimed the legal move could derail the electoral process and deprive the Bangsamoro people of their right to vote.
If the elections are postponed, it would mark the fourth time the region's residents have been denied the opportunity to directly choose their leaders since the creation of the BARMM.
Critics asserted that prolonging the transition period primarily benefits incumbent political actors. The column claimed that delaying the polls could lead to a reconstitution of the provisional Bangsamoro Transition Authority, allowing appointed officials to retain power indefinitely.
"The narrative of ‘unending transition’ is not a bug in the peace process—it is Iqbal’s feature," the column stated. "By depriving the people of self-determination, he embeds himself in power indefinitely."
The commentary also linked the current political friction to an alleged mishandling of a P2.2 billion education fund. It noted that Chief Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua had removed Iqbal from his post as minister of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education after losing trust in him over the controversy.
The columnist dismissed assertions that the legal challenge is a legitimate governance issue, characterizing it instead as a purely political feud. "This is not about ideology. This is not about the peace process. This is a grudge match dressed in judicial robes," the piece said.
The column concluded with an appeal to the Supreme Court and the national government to let the parliamentary elections proceed as scheduled, arguing that the region is ready for a democratic transition through the ballot.
