FACT CHECK: Bangsamoro Parliament Member and MILF commander Jack Abas hits false FB post

From MindaNews (May 5, 2022): FACT CHECK: Bangsamoro Parliament Member and MILF commander Jack Abas hits false FB post (Fact Check)

Bangsamoro Member of Parliament (MP) Akmad Abas has not endorsed local candidates in five towns in Maguindanao as claimed by a false post circulating on Facebook.

“Let us not spread lies and falsehood,” said Abas, who is popularly known as Commander Jack, chief of the Eastern Mindanao Front of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the armed wing of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Abas denied affixing his signature to an undated document circulating on Facebook and addressed to reelectionist Maguindanao Gov. Bai Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu.

The bogus document endorsed to Sangki-Mangudadatu (Nacionalista Party) the “consensus of the Matalam-Pendatun-Mangelen Family Alliance, the Southern Ligawasan Alliance of Municipalities and the MILF Alliances / Bangsamoro Ligawasan Development Corp.” to include some local candidates in her party.

The letter endorsed certain candidates vying for mayors and vice mayors in the towns of Pagalungan, Datu Paglas, Gen. SK Pendatun, Paglat and Sultan sa Barongis to become Sangki-Mangudadatu’s partymates.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=144060134796624&set=pcb.144060404796597

Abas vehemently denied he affixed his signature to the political endorsement.

He admitted affixing his signature, along with some others in the fake document, but noted that it was for a letter addressed to Bangsamoro Interim Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim requesting for the establishment of an office for the development of Liguasan Marsh.

Abas, a member of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the MILF’s political party, said he is fully committed to their political party.

The UBJP is fielding Maguindanao Second District Rep. Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu against Sangki-Mangudadatu and four other gubernatorial aspirants.

This is the first election that the MILF fielded and supported candidates in the local and national scene.

As with all our other reports, MindaNews welcomes leads or suggestions from the public to potential fact-check stories. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)

(This fact-check piece was produced with the support of Internews’ Philippine Fact-Checker Incubator Project.)

https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2022/05/fact-check-bangsamoro-parliament-member-and-milf-commander-jack-abas-hits-false-fb-post/