Five governors from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao launched the BARMM Governors’ Caucus on Tuesday, 06 June 2023, in Cagayan de Oro City. From right, Gov. Yshmael Sali of Tawi-Tawi, Gov. Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu of Maguindanao del Sur, Gov. Mamintal Adiong, Jr. of Lanao del Sur, Gov. Abdusakur Tan of Sulu and Maluso Mayor Hanie Bud, representing Basilan Gov. Jim Hataman-Salliman. MindaNews photo by FROILAN GALLARDO
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 07 June) – Top leaders from five provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) gathered here Tuesday to launch the “BARMM Governors’ Caucus” (BGC), a platform “to advance the rule of law, peace and order, and inclusive governance and development” in the region.
Governors Mamintal Adiong, Jr. of Lanao del Sur, Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu of Maguindanao del Sur, Yshmael Sali of Tawi-Tawi, Abdusakur Tan of Sulu and Jim Hataman-Salliman of Basilan formed the caucus “to promote the rights and welfare of our constituents.”
“The caucus is committed to support the peace process and the BARMM,” the manifesto stated. “(It) will engage in dialogue towards greater cooperation and collaboration with the national and regional governments and multi-sectoral groups.”
The governors said the caucus “looks forward to working and collaborating with the stakeholders who share our advocacies.”
“To those who seek to understand the position of the caucus, we invite you to dialogue with us towards finding a common ground. In the end, we are all working for the same goal: sustainable peace and development for the region,” they said.
Adiong, Sangki-Mangudadatu, Sali and Tan attended the launching, while Salliman sent Maluso Mayor Hanie Bud, president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines – Basilan chapter, as his representative.
Not around
Noticeably absent from the gathering was Governor Abdulraof Macacua of Maguindanao del Norte, who was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last April.
Macacua, also known as “Sammy Gambar,” is a senior leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which forged a peace deal, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), with the Philippine government in 2014 after 17 years of negotiations.
The CAB’s key component is the creation of an autonomous Bangsamoro region, which was realized in 2019 following the ratification of Republic 11054 or the Organic Law for the BARMM.
The MILF has been leading the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the interim body that governs the Bangsamoro region.
The absence of Macacua sparked speculations that the governors are forming an alliance to go against the MILF-controlled BARMM parliament in the coming 2025 elections.
In a press conference, Adiong quickly doused the speculations, saying that their gathering was not to form an alliance against the MILF but to address “their growing concerns on development and the peace and order situation in the region.”
“It is too premature to talk about the election. This caucus is for the constituents of BARMM,” Adiong said in Filipino.
Mangudadatu said the idea of forming a caucus among BARMM governors came even before Marcos appointed Macacua as governor of Maguindanao del Norte.
Tan also clarified that the caucus “has no political motives but was formed to enhance the coordination of the national and regional governments to address development and foster peace mechanisms” in the region.
“The purpose of this caucus is not to discuss the (coming) election. First, we are not sure because the election is always postponed. We are not sure if there will be an election. It might be premature to talk about the election. This is (about) cooperation – we have no bad intentions, this is not to destroy but to fix and speed up what we have to do,” he said.
In the manifesto, the governors said the “security challenges in the BARMM are not addressed because of unclear and overlapping mandates of law-enforcement agencies”
Adiong cited the February 17 ambush that left him injured and killed four of his security detail in Maguing, Lanao del Sur as an example.
“If a governor like me can be ambushed, what more of the ordinary people,” he said.
The governors also called for inclusive governance and development in the BARMM to address the marginalization of its residents, which they claimed is one of the problems that triggers violent extremism.
They called on the BARMM government to convene a Council of Leaders for greater participation and representation of local government units (LGUs) and sectoral groups in governance.
Rep. Zia Adiong (1st District, Lanao del Sur) said that if the governors wanted themselves elected as the Chief Minister , they have to be elected first in the BARMM parliament.
Adiong, who is a former BTA member, said the 80-member parliament is controlled by the MILF with 41 seats, the rest occupied by government nominees.
He said the joining of forces by the governors should be a “wake up call” for the MILF.
“This could develop into something else. We are open to any development that may arise from this caucus,” Adiong said.
The congressman noted the caucus could develop into a political party, which could challenge the MILF in the 2025 BARMM regional election. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)
