South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. Photo from the South Cotabato provincial government Facebook page
COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 03 July) – A leaked audio recording of a voice apparently that of South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., where he claimed that Malacañang will intervene in the political affairs of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), has gone viral on social media.
Tamayo is also president of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), which is chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Maguindanao del Sur Gov. Mariam Sangki-Mangudadatu slammed Tamayo for allegedly encroaching in BARMM politics during her speech at the BARMM Grand Coalition (BGC) provincial assembly in Basilan last Sunday, June 30.
At the start of the leaked recording, Tamayo, speaking in Filipino, could be heard saying that the “President wanted to relay the information for another extension of the BARMM,” for some reasons that include the unfinished decommissioning of combatants of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The “extended Bangsamoro transition government” will still be led by the MILF, according to him.
Tamayo’s claim, however, was contrary to the stand of Marcos, who said in different occasions that there will be no more extension of the transition period and that the first Bangsamoro Parliament election will push through in May 2025.
“It should be MILF-led. But there will be a reshuffling, there will be a replacement of the CM (Chief Minister). So Malacanang will intervene, but you need to support it first. I’m assuring that I am here with you. I will talk to the President, I will talk to the MILG (Ministry of the Interior and Local Government) to stop the division of towns,” the audio recording said.
But at the 6:26 timestamp, Tamayo said: “Uulitin ko. Eto yung gusto ng Pangulo, MILF-led pa rin muna, at may option naman sana na pwedeng hindi magkakaroon ng election, pero gusto niya talaga may election (Let me repeat. This is what the President wants. [The BARMM] should still be MILF-led. There was an option not to hold the election. However, he wants the election to proceed).”
The audio was believed to be recorded during the meeting of BARMM mayors at the Diamond Hotel in Manila on June 24. It was not known who recorded and leaked it.
During her speech in Basilan during the BGC provincial assembly, Mangudadatu challenged Tamayo if he indeed issued such pronouncement during the BARMM mayors’ meeting at the Diamond Hotel.
“Aalisin natin si Kagi Murad at tayo ay maglalagay diyan. At ilalagay natin si Sammy Gambar,” ( We will replace Kagi Murad with Sammy Gambar),” Mangudadatu quoted Tamayo as telling the mayors.
Kagi Murad is Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim, the interim Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro government and concurrent MILF chairperson, while Sammy Gambar is Gov. Abdulraof Macacua, officer-in-charge of Maguindanao del Norte and head of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces.
The MILF had announced its political party, the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), will participate in the Bangsamoro Parliament election in May 2025.
The leaked audio was first uploaded at Facebook page Fahima Salik tv, a pro BGC party propaganda page. Fahima Salik tv is the new Facebook account of Fahima Salik. The Fahima Salik page was taken down by Facebook on June 16, 2023 after it was reported to have been spreading baseless accusations and hate speech against BARMM officials. The malign actor quickly generated a new account on June 17, 2023 and now has at least 6,900 followers.
Tamayo has not yet replied to a text query if indeed he was the person talking in the voice recording. Ebrahim has also not responded when sought for comment on Tamayo’s claims.
Before the audio recording surfaced on social media, Mayor Raida Maglangit of Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur accused Tamayo of forcing the mayors in the Bangsamoro region to join and support the UBJP, or “they will face investigations by the Commission on Audit.”
Tamayo denied the allegation and claimed he was misinterpreted.
In a video uploaded on Facebook page Boses ng South Cotabato on July 2 following the criticism of Mangudadatu and her BGC allies, Tamayo said that President Marcos instructed the PFP to form an alliance with the UBJP.
“They see it as outside of my responsibility (because it is in BARMM) but in reality, there was an instruction from the President tasking me on political party matters (in the country),” Tamayo said in Ilonggo.
The UBJP and the BGC are expected to square it off during the first parliamentary election next year, which will be held simultaneously with the midterm national and local elections.
Bangsamoro Interior and Local Government Minister Atty. Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba’s office invited the mayors to the Diamond Hotel meeting, upon the advice of Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr.
In a text message, Alba could not confirm nor deny if the audio recording was that of Tamayo, saying she was not present during the meeting of the mayors with Tamayo. (Ferdinandh Cabrera / MindaNews)