Bangsamoro leaders, Erap's son Jake back Kiko-Bam

Bangsamoro leaders have rallied behind the 2025 Senate comeback bids of former senators Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan and Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV.

Pangilinan, who is seeking his fourth Senate term, secured the endorsement of Abdullah Macapaar Al-Hajj, a former leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) turned parliament member of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), less than three weeks before the May 12 midterm polls.

Al-Hajj, also known as Commander Bravo, expressed support for Pangilinan's Senate bid following their meeting at Camp Bilal Ben Rabbah in Barangay Tamparan, Munai, Lanao del Norte.

During the meeting, Pangilinan discussed the importance of the full implementation in BARMM of the Sagip Saka Act, which allows the government to directly purchase the agricultural products that farmers harvested without public bidding.

Before the government inked a peace agreement with the MILF in 2014, Commander Bravo served as the Northwestern Mindanao Front-Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces Front Commander.

As part of his visit to Lanao del Norte, Pangilinan was given a tour of the Bangsamoro Peace Center located in Barangay Tamparan.

Aquino, on the other hand, gained an endorsement from Bangsamoro Party, the political party of former separatist group Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), led by Muslimin Sema.

Aquino's campaign team said the Bangsamoro Party has 500,000 members in the BARMM.

"Lubos tayong nagpapasalamat sa Bangsamoro Party ng MNLF sa inyong suporta at tiwala. Magkasama tayo sa ating adbokasiya na paunlarin ang Mindanao sa tamang paggamit ng pondo pamamagitan ng paglalaan ng sapat na pondo sa edukasyon, kalusugan, kabuhayan, at imprastruktura," said Aquino, one of the authors of the Free College Education law.

(We are thankful for the trust and support of the MNLF's Bangsamoro Party. I stand with them in their advocacy to make Mindanao prosperous by allocating sufficient funding for education, health, livelihood and infrastructure.)

Bouncing back

Pangilinan and Aquino lost decisively in Mindanao during their 2022 vice presidential and 2019 senatorial candidacies, respectively.

Pangilinan's highest vote among six Mindanao regions only reached over 159,000 as against eventual winner Vice President Sara Duterte who garnered votes over 1.2 million in all of Mindanao's regions.

Aquino's share of votes in six Mindanao regions in 2019 ranged from 7.6% to 13.76% of the votes cast.

Pangilinan placed a distant second in the 2022 vice presidential race with over 9 million votes as against Vice President Duterte's 32 million votes.

Aquino, for his part, lost the 2019 Senate race by finishing at 14th place with 14 million votes.

Erap's son for Kiko-Bam

One of the celebrities who also backed the Senate comeback bid of Pangilinan and Aquino were actor Jake Ejercito, son of former President Joseph Estrada and brother of Senators Jinggoy Estrada and JV Ejercito.

"Para sa bawat hapag at sa kabataan, Kiko-Bam!" Jake said on his X account.

(For food security and youth, let's vote for Kiko-Bam.)

Both Pangilinan and Aquino are hovering in 11th and 12th places in pre-election polls, tied with multiple candidates.

Dingdong's support

Meanwhile, actor Dingdong Dantes expressed his support for Aquino's re-election bid this May.

Dantes shared on Tuesday that he had known the former senator since grade school.

"Since 2014, we've stood side by side advocating for youth-centered policies and even hosted a few shows together over the years — #DongBam Assenshow. Haha!" he said in a Facebook post along with some photos of their catch-up on Monday.

But beyond all that, what I've always respected and admired about Bam is his integrity, consistency, clear vision, and a track record that speaks for itself — all anchored by a genuine heart for service," Dantes added.

"Now that we're both fathers, our conversations naturally drift toward family—our kids, and the future we hope to help shape for them. It's always reassuring to catch up with friends who stay true to their purpose and continue to find ways to turn hope into action." — VDV, GMA Integrated News

For more Eleksyon 2025 related content and updates, visit GMA News Online's Eleksyon 2025 microsite.