COTABATO CITY – The Guardian of the Moros (GM), a new group composed of Muslim professionals in Central Mindanao, has issued a guideline for the May 10 local and national elections, asking the voters to shun electing womanizers, drunkards, gamblers, and anti-people candidates.

The Manila Bulletin, through Luwaran.net, learned that the guidelines were formulated by the youth for Bangsamoro Genuine Empowerment (YBGE), headed by Arsad Solaiman.

YBGE was described as a “militant Moro youth organization.”

On the other hand, the second endorsement by GM was signed by a certain Professor Abdullah of the University of Southern Mindanao in Kabacan, North Cotabato.

Abdullah justified his group’s endorsement of the YBGE guideline, saying “the Moro society is suffering from bad leadership that resulted in lack of progress in most Moro areas in Mindanao.”

Apparently, the electoral guidelines are focused mainly, but not exclusively, on the local elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The guidelines state:
1. Don’t vote for candidates who are gamblers;
2. Don’t vote for candidates who are drunkards;
3. Don’t vote for candidates who are womanizers;
4. Don’t vote for candidates who are anti-people;
5. Don’t vote for candidates who are always in Manila, Davao or Cebu enjoying themselves while their people are suffering back home;
6. Don’t vote for candidates who consider the Internal Revenue Allocation (IRA) as their personal incomes or fortunes;
7. Don’t vote for candidates who are not development-oriented; and
8. Don’t vote for candidates whose towns are still dilapidated despite the coming of the 21st century.

On the other hand, Muslims have also campaigned against the candidacy of former President Joseph Estrada because of his all-out war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), as well as, Sen. Manuel Roxas II and ex-senator Franklin Drilon for opposing the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MoA-AD).