President Duterte has approved the recommendation of the Security, Justice and Peace Cabinet Cluster (SJPCC) to maintain the status quo on the current composition of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).
In a statement, the SJPCC said retention of the current composition of the BTA is necessary amid concerns of massive changes once the next administration takes over, especially that there are more than three months left before a new president is sworn in.
"This period will provide the incumbent members of the BTA the time to complete their crucial tasks.Moreover, maintaining the status quo in the BTA will enable the incumbent President to focus on ensuring that the key aspects of the transition process in the Bangsamoro, such as building the capacity of the BTA Parliament and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Cabinet for good and accountable moral governance, are effectively carried out," the statement read.
The statement was signed by Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr., and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr.
The BTA serves as the interim government which has executive and legislative power over the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BAR). It was created after the abolition of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) following the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law in 2019 through a plebiscite.
The BTA was tasked of overseeing the development and other governance-related matters in the region pending the election of the officers that will run the BAR.
On Feb. 15, the BTA requested Duterte through a resolution to re-appoint the BTA members whom he appointed, saying this will ensure a smooth transition process without the possibility of any political disruptions taking place.
In the same resolution, the BTA emphasized that keeping the status quo is necessary in view of the diverse ethnic-cultural and professional background of the body’s membership; their policy advocacies and accomplishments; and the extensive trainings on governance they have received from academic and other development institutions.
"The status quo in the BTA will be done in the exigency of public service.Undoubtedly, the BTA has over the past two years played an instrumental role in uplifting the lives of the Bangsamoro people and unleashing the economic potential of the region. Given these major accomplishments, its current membership must not only be given due recognition, but must also be given the chance to complete what it has started," the statement read.
"By keeping the status quo in the BTA, we are not only building on and sustaining the gains of the Bangsamoro peace process; we are laying the foundations where genuine development and long-lasting peace can take root and flourish, and where our Moro brothers and sisters can look ahead to a better and brighter future," it added.
The SJPCC, however, stressed that the new president has the authority to replace the composition of the BTA.