Thirty-nine senior representatives from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) completed the three-day “Trainers’ Training for the Development of United Bangsamoro Justice Party” held in Manila on March 28 to 30, 2014.  

Before proceeding to the training venue, the participants witnessed the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in Malacañang. They said the training brings the MILF closer to realizing its vision of building a “genuinely principled political party” for the Bangsamoro.

READ: President Aquino’s speech during the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro

Sammy Al-Mansoor, interim committee chair of the Bangsamoro political party tentatively called United Bangsamoro Justice Party, said the MILF is on its track of transforming itself from a revolutionary movement to a political organization so that it can participate in future electoral exercises in the Bangsamoro territory.

READ: “From bullets to ballots”

Speaking to participants during the closing rites, GPH Peace Panel Chair Miriam Coroner Ferrer hailed the training as a breakthrough and emphasized on the need for the MILF to build coalitions and alliances to realize the goal of the Bangsamoro peace agreement.

One way to do this is by establishing a political party, said IAG Executive Director Benedicto Bacani. With the signing of the CAB, this dream is fast becoming a reality, Al-Mansoor noted.

The training was facilitated by the Institute for Autonomy and Governance in partnership with the MILF, Institute of Bangsamoro Studies (IBS) and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS).

National artist for literature Francisco Sionil Jose, PUBLiCUS Asia Founder and General Manager Maria Lourdes Tiquia, media consultant Susan Claire Agbayani, Local Government Foundation (LOGODEF) Executive Director Ed Tayao, KAS Country Representative Dr. Peter Koeppinger, KAS Program Manager Cris Giangan, Centrist Democratic Party of the Philippines (CDP) Secretary-General Aaron de Leon and CDP’s April de la Cruz shared their knowledge and expertise as resource speakers.

Sen. Koko Pimentel also came to the training as guest speaker.