A LOCAL political party from Maguindanao has filed a petition to cancel the registration as a political party of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP).
The petition, filed before the Commission on Elections in Manila on November 17, included an application for the issuance of a Status Quo Ante thru a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) and a Preliminary Injunction against all political activities of UBJP for the May 2022 national and local elections.
Umpungan ng Mapagmalasakit Party (UMP), the local political party as the petitioner in Special Proceedings SPP No. 21-299, is represented by its Secretary General Mohajeran K. Balayman, designated as attorney-in-fact.
The case was raffled to the Second Division of Comelec on November 22, or five days after it was filed. Under the Comelec Rules of Procedure, the Clerk of Court of the commission or division shall issue the corresponding summons to the respondent within three days following the filing.
A daily follow-up with the Office of the Clerk of the commission confirmed that no summons has been issued as of Thursday, December 2.
Comelec records show that from October 1 to 8, 2021, UBJP nominated several candidates for various positions in the Province of Maguindanao for the May 2022 national and local elections. According to Balayman, the acts of nominating, announcing, and even campaigning prematurely committed by UBJP violate Section 9, Article 6 RA 11054, or the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which states that only regional political parties duly accredited by the Bangsamoro Electoral Office, as approved by the Comelec, shall participate in the parliamentary elections in the BARMM
Balayman held that UBJP’s participation is also the participation of the Regional Government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in the forthcoming May 2022 polls, which is contrary to the autonomous nature of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region established pursuant to RA11054.
“RA 11054, which established a Parliamentary System of Autonomous Regional Government in the BARMM, does not allow the UBJP to participate in the May 2022 national and local elections, or in any non-parliamentary form of elections in the Philippines for that matter. UBJP’s violations of certain specific laws are grounds for the Comelec to cancel its registration as a regional political party,” said Balayman.
Congressman Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu leads the list of candidates endorsed by the UBJP for the May 2022 polls. As such, Balayman reiterated his plea for Mangudadatu’s camp to surrender their certificate of nomination and acceptance (CONA) to UBJP out of delicadeza since the issuances of these CONAs were a patent nullity, UBJP being unauthorized to do so under RA 11054 and RA 7160, and they being not candidates for any parliamentary election.
The UMP secretary general also called on Mangudadatu’s camp not to cling to a regional party (whose leadership has three personalities rolled into one), which, he said, can only field candidates for parliament during a parliamentary election, pursuant to RA 11054, in relation to RA 7160 and election laws.
UMP also urged the Second Division of the Comelec to immediately issue the summons and act on the TRO and Preliminary Injunction.
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