CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Calls are growing for Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Panel Chair Mohagher Iqbal to stop what critics describe as efforts to delay the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) scheduled this September.

The public push follows an opinion piece published by the Cotabato Column, which accused Iqbal of attempting to obstruct the historic regional elections by filing a legal challenge against the districting law passed by the Bangsamoro Parliament.

The commentary argued that after a seven-year transition timeline under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), local residents should finally be permitted to choose their leaders through the parliamentary framework established by the peace process.

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According to the report, Iqbal is seeking intervention from the Supreme Court to review the legislative boundaries, an intervention that could disrupt the election schedule.

“He is moving mountains to obtain an injunctive relief from the Highest Court of the land against the districting law passed by the Bangsamoro Parliament,” the column stated.

Warnings of an Extended Transition

Electoral advocates caution that any postponement of the parliamentary polls would restrict local voters from exercising their democratic options. Critics also note that delaying the vote could lead to the reconfiguration of the temporary Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), permitting appointed officials to retain administrative control instead of transferring authority to elected representatives.

“The narrative of ‘unending transition’ is not a bug in the peace process—it is Iqbal’s feature. By depriving the people of self-determination, he embeds himself in power indefinitely,” the column asserted.

Link to Regional Budget Controversies

The commentary also associated the legal dispute with a reported ₱2.2-billion education fund controversy. It claimed that Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua removed Iqbal from his previous post as head of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education due to a loss of confidence related to the budget matter.

The columnist argued that the high-court petition represents political positioning rather than statutory oversight.

“This is not about ideology. This is not about the peace process. This is a grudge match dressed in judicial robes,” the text stated.

Appeals to National Regulators

The piece concluded with an appeal to national authorities and the judiciary to allow regional voting to proceed without disruption.

“Let the Supreme Court hear the Bangsamoro, not him. Let Malacañang see clearly that the Bangsamoro people are ready for elections,” the column stated.

Advocacy groups maintain that postponing the democratic process would weaken regional stability and prolong a transition phase that residents expect to resolve through standard balloting.

Reporters have requested a comment from Iqbal, but he has not yet responded to the inquiries.