IT appears the One Bangsamoro Movement (1Bangsa) is not done with Misamis Oriental Gov. Peter ‘Sr. Pedro’ Unabia.
In an emailed open letter addressed to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Sunday, April 27, 1Bangsa and its allied Muslim organizations urged the agency to act swiftly on a verified intervention seeking the motu proprio filing of a complaint for election offense and a petition for disqualification against Unabia.
“We are deeply alarmed by actions that erode that foundation not only by Gov. Unabia’s reckless invocation of religious identity for political gain, but by the alleged rampant vote buying undermining the sanctity of elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,” Maulana “Alan” A. Balangi, national president of 1Bangsa, wrote.
The group said the alleged offenses “strike at the very heart of the Filipino people’s trust.”
1Bangsa called on Comelec to resolve its intervention with urgency and expedite all pending disqualification cases involving electoral offenses in Barmm.
“Every moment of delay emboldens those who believe public office is a prize for sale and that the Muslim vote is a commodity to be bought,” Balangi wrote.
1Bangsa emphasized that the Bangsamoro people fought hard for the right to fair democratic participation, and that the Muslim vote must be protected — “not bought, not threatened, and never silenced.”
The group also urged all Filipino citizens to stay vigilant.
“Defending democracy demands more than voting; it requires standing firm against any attempt to cheapen our collective voice,” 1Bangsa’s open letter reads in part.
Balangi added that “the nation is watching.”
“We trust that you will rise to this moment and reaffirm that in our beloved Philippines, democracy cannot and will not be bought, rigged, or stolen,” he said.
