Moro leaders and human rights groups condemned incumbent and Misamis Oriental gubernatorial candidate Peter Unabia for statements demonstrating his discrimination and contempt for the Moro people.

In Balingoan, Misamis Oriental on April 1, he remarked that instability could arise if officials linked to Moros were elected and urged voters not to vote for them. He warned of the possibility that “Maranaos might overrun” the province and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) would eventually “occupy” MisOr. While speaking, a slideshow behind him displayed ambushes and attacks in BARMM as proof of the “criminality” that Moros might bring to the province and its main city, Cagayan de Oro.

These attacks by Unabia are believed to be insinuations against Atty. Karen Lagbas, the opponent of his son Christian, who is running for Congress. Lagbas reportedly has ties to a Maranao politician.

Among those who condemned Unabia’s anti-Moro statements include Drieza Lininding and the Moro Consensus Group. Lininding said Unabia was demonizing not only Maranaos but Islam itself. He noted that Moros have long had meaningful ties with Misamis Oriental province, as many Maranaos consider Cagayan de Oro their “second home.”

1Bangsa, a multisectoral group composed of Bangsamoro leaders, also called Unabia’s statements “hate speech” and an “attack on the dignity of Muslims.” The group called for a boycott of the Unabia family’s businesses. It also urged all Moros not to vote for the Unabias in the upcoming elections. They further called for Comelec to hold Unabia accountable.

Prior to this, Comelec already asked Unabia to explain his sexist remarks against women in another campaign speech.

On April 7, Unabia apologized during a meeting between him and Moro groups mediated by Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Jose Cabantan and Iglesia Filipina Independiente Bishop Felixberto Calang.

However, some Moro groups, particularly those based in Lanao, the neighboring province of Misamis Oriental, remained unsatisfied. These include the Young Moro Professionals Network (YMPN), which had earlier strongly condemned the governor. They stated that Unabia needed to do more than just apologize. They urged the governor to engage in dialogue with Moro communities in the province and acknowledge the historical and economic contributions of Muslims, especially in Cagayan de Oro.