Today’s scheduled Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) Grand Rally in Cotabato City, expected to draw tens of thousands of members and supporters, is being framed as a historic show of unity ahead of the first-ever Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections in 2025. Yet, even before the first speeches are made, the gathering has already exposed a deeper problem: a growing rift within the leadership of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Chief Minister and BIAF Chief of Staff Abdulraof “Sammy Gambar” Macacua personally extended an invitation to the BIAF to attend what he called a voters’ education activity at the Grand Mosque Quadrangle. But in sharp contrast, the MILF Central Committee, led by Chairman and Commander-in-Chief Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim, issued an official statement denying that the rally had any approval or blessing from the organization’s top leadership.
This public contradiction is alarming. The MILF has always prided itself on discipline, chain of command, and internal unity. Yet here we are, on the eve of the region’s most important political exercise, witnessing rival messages from two of its highest-ranking leaders. For a movement that once relied on cohesion to survive decades of struggle, the appearance of factionalism sends a worrying signal not only to its members but also to the Bangsamoro people at large.
The stakes are enormous. The October 13, 2025 parliamentary elections are meant to be a milestone for self-governance, giving the Bangsamoro people their first direct say in shaping a parliamentary government. But how can the public put its trust in this process if the very leaders tasked with guiding them forward are themselves divided?
The MILF Central Committee has emphasized that official activities should be anchored in Camp Darapanan, its symbolic headquarters. The fact that a grand rally is taking place outside of this framework, with or without its blessing, hints at parallel centers of authority emerging within the organization. History has shown that such divides, if left unresolved, can erode unity and legitimacy from within.
Some may downplay this episode as a case of miscommunication. But to the discerning eye, it is a red flag. When leaders contradict each other in public, the grassroots are left confused, loyalty becomes contested, and enemies of peace are handed an opportunity to exploit division.
The Bangsamoro project is too important to be derailed by factional politics. For the sake of the people, the MILF leadership must confront this issue head-on — not with vague calls for unity, but with transparency, accountability, and genuine dialogue. Only then can the promise of self-rule be safeguarded from the cracks that threaten to weaken it from within.