President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has administered the mass oath-taking of newly-appointed members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).
The President led the oath-taking ceremony of BTA interim chief minister Ahod Ebrahim and 80 other members of the parliament on Friday, Aug. 12.
During the ceremony, Marcos acknowledged the "great deal of work" that the body should accomplish in three years, from enacting fundamental laws and fiscal policy to conducting elections.
He highlighted the need for the BTA to pass several legislations such as the Electoral Code, Local Government Code, and some areas of fiscal policies before its 2025 elections that will pave the way to achieving peace, progress, and genuine autonomy in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
"Such important laws to be passed in three years is not an easy task, and that's why I will be here as head of the national government to support BARMM," he said.
The new BTA composition will serve until 2025.
It is dominated by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), with 41 nominees and 39 from the government.
They are lawyers, lawyer-certified public accountants, engineers, teachers, doctors, architects, media practitioners, politicians, former elected officials at the local levels, and government bureaucrats.
They are the representatives from Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, Sulu, Basilan, and Tawi-Tawi, as well as members of the Bangsamoro community in North Cotabato, indigenous peoples who are not Moro, the Kalagan or Kagan community in Davao Oriental, and Christian or settler communities in Davao City and Cotabato City.
The mass oath-taking took place at the Malacañang Palace.
Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez said it was also witnessed by UN Resident Coordinator Gustavo Gonzales.
Malacañang said it was also the first time that the children of Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Founder Nur Misuari were present at an event for the united BARMM.