GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 13 March) – Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Abdulraof Macacua was sworn in as the new Interim Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao vice AHod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim, chairperson of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Abdulraof Macacua is sworn in as BARMM Interim Chief Minister by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Malacañan Palace. Photo from the Facebook page of Governor Abdulraof A. Macacua
Macacua took his oath of office at Malacañan Palace Wednesday afternoon before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who appointed him to the post on March 3. The MILF questioned the appointment.
“We look forward to Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua leading the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) in building on the progress we’ve made in the BARMM,” Marcos posted on his Facebook account Bongbong Marcos.
“His leadership comes at a crucial time as we prepare for the region’s first parliamentary elections—ensuring a smooth transition and a stronger future for the Bangsamoro people,” he added.
As of Thursday afternoon, Malacañang has not yet named a replacement for the governor of Maguindanao del Norte.
Last February 19, Marcos signed Republic Act No. 12123, which postponed the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections from May 12 to October 13 this year.
The postponement of the regional elections effectively extended the mandate of the BTA until October 30, when the new set of elected officials shall have taken their oath of office.
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO), the lead communications arm of the executive department, had no report about Macacua’s oathtaking on its website or its Facebook account as of 2:35 p.m. Thursday.
Macacua, also known by his nom de guerre Sammy Gambar, is the chief of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces. Before his appointment as Maguindanao del Norte governor, he served in various capacities in the BARMM – as Member of Parliament, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources and Senior Minister.
In a statement on March 10, a day after PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed to the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism Macacua’s appointment, the Bangsamoro government welcomed the development.
The PCO released the names of the new 57 BTA appointees on March 10.
The Bangsamoro government also assured the public that the change in leadership “will not disrupt the delivery of services and programs, reaffirming its commitment to good governance and the region’s smooth transition.”
“We assure the people of a smooth leadership change, one that will not disrupt the operations of the Bangsamoro government, nor hinder our commitment to continued delivery of services and programs,” the statement read.
It expressed gratitude to the outgoing Interim Chief Minister Ebrahim.
“Through his guidance, our region has witnessed a transformative journey—where social bonds have strengthened with the implementation of people-centric programs, economic opportunities have flourished contributing to the drastic decrease in poverty incidence, and political foundations have grown ever more steadfast through the passages of landmark legislations and policies,” the statement reads.
The MILF, however, questioned Macacua’s appointment in an editorial published on Luwaran.com, the front’s official website. The article was entitled “Did the government violate the Bangsamoro Organic Law?”
The BOL or Republic Act No. 11054 serves as the legal foundation of the BARMM. It was the product of decades of negotiations between the Philippine government and the MILF, culminating in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) in 2014.
Under the BOL, the MILF would lead the transition government with 41 seats of the 80-member BTA.
This provision was designed to recognize the MILF’s role in the peace process and ensure continuity as the region prepares for its first parliamentary elections in 2025. As a consequence of leading the BTA, the President is expected to appoint from the official list of nominees transmitted by the MILF, the editorial stated.
“Despite the clear legal provision, Marcos appointed individuals as Chief Minister and Members of Parliament who were not endorsed in the official list submitted by the MILF. This move not only disregards the agreement underpinning the BOL but also weakens the credibility of the MILF’s leadership in the transition,” the MILF said.
“By bypassing and ignoring the MILF’s recommendations on who shall function as Chief Minister and as well as members of the BTA, the President has effectively stripped the MILF of its rightful role in leading the governance of BARMM, a role assigned to it by the Bangsamoro Organic Law and earned through years of struggle and negotiation. This raises serious concerns about the Philippine government’s sincerity to its obligations under the CAB and BOL,” it added.
“The appointment of non-MILF-endorsed individuals, whether they belong to the MILF or not, is more than a technical violation—it is a breach of the trust that underpins the peace process. The MILF chose the path of negotiation, believing in the promises made by the government. Marcos’ decision now casts doubt on whether those promises will be upheld,” the group said.
During the filing of the certificate of candidacy (COC) last November, Macacua sought one of the four single-district seats allocated to Maguindanao del Norte.
He filed the COC under the United Bangsamoro Justice Party, the MILF’s political party. (Bong S. Sarmiento / MindaNews)
