COTABATO CITY (MindaNews/3 July 2026)– The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has officially cancelled the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) of Anwar Salipada Alamada, an aspirant for the 5th District Representative of Maguindanao del Sur under the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP)—the political wing of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)—for the upcoming 2026 Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliamentary elections.

The COMELEC Second Division granted the petition filed by Rafsanjani Pendatun Ali, a rival candidate running under the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP) who accused Alamada of not being a resident of the district where he intended to run.

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From the official Facebook page of the Commission on Elections

In a resolution released by the COMELEC, the poll body ruled that Alamada committed “false material representation” in his COC, leading to the cancellation of his bid for the parliamentary seat.

The ruling removes Alamada from the roster of candidates for the district as the region approaches its first parliamentary elections. The decision comes as the sample digital ballots have been released and are currently available for public viewing on the COMELEC’s official social media pages.

Alamada serves as the chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) and is a certifying officer for former MILF members applying for amnesty.

Alamada has not issued a statement as of this writing.

The historic parliamentary elections for the BARMM are scheduled to take place on September 14, 2026. The election comes after four previous postponements, with the newly elected members of Parliament expected to assume their duties on 30 October 2026, serving a term that will conclude in June 2031. (Ferdinandh B. Cabrera/MindaNews)