5/8/2024 Philippines (International Christian Concern) — The outcomes of next year’s elections are expected to have huge ramifications on the plight of Christians in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) — the only Muslim-majority province in the Philippines — and the wider Mindanao region.
BARMM was formed in 2019 after decades of vicious fighting between the Philippines government and numerous Muslim and Communist rebel groups in Mindanao, the southernmost island group of the Philippines.
The primary force behind BARMM’s formation is the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). It and other groups linked to the Islamic State group (ISIS) have been involved in numerous incidents of persecution against Christians in the region, including the December 2023 bombing in Marawi, Mindanao, that killed four Catholics.
Currently, the MILF-affiliated United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) controls BARMM’s government. In the run-up to the 2025 elections, Lanao del Sur Deputy Governor Mohammad Khalid Raki-in Adiong, president of the Serbisyong Inklusibo-Alyansang Progresibo Party (SIAP), has reached an agreement with two other regional parties to form a coalition, namely the Al-Ittihad-UKB party and the Bangsamoro People’s Party. This new alliance is expected to compete against UBJP to control BARMM.
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