Murad casts vote for 2019 polls in Maguindanao

Ebrahim is currently a registered voter in Barangay Simuay of Sultan Kudarat town situated in the first district of Maguindanao.

At 2:30 p.m., the 72-year-old Ebrahim emerged from his voting center in the school and told reporters that he wisely chose his preferred candidates.

“I have cast my vote with the guideline I picked up from President Rodrigo Duterte in connection with this election,” he said.

When pressed further on the matter, Ebrahim said he remembered the President saying voters should choose candidates based on their track record and their stand on issues affecting the country.

“I remember well the President saying to choose the people based on what they have so far done for the welfare of the people and I just did that through my vote,” he said.

Monday’s election was the second for Ebrahim, with the first one taking place last Jan. 21, at the same school as his voting center for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law that created the new BARMM entity.

“This day (Monday) though is my first time that I participated and voted for political candidates in an election,” he said with a smile.

Before becoming the BARMM interim head, Ebrahim, through his nom de guerre — “Al Haj Murad” –headed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), formerly the largest Moro rebel group in Mindanao.

He went out of school at the age of 19 to join the mainstream Moro National Liberation Front but later bolted to join the MILF with Islamic theologian and MILF founder Salamat Hashim due to political differences with MNLF founder Nur Misuari.

Ebrahim took over the MILF leadership following the death of Salamat in July 2003 due to a lingering illness.