The transition of new leadership in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) was made in accordance with the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. (OPAPRU) asserted this on Monday, March 17, after the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rejected President Marcos Jr.’s appointment of Abdulraof Macacua as the new interim chief minister of BARMM.
“The change of leadership in the BARMM adheres to both the letter and spirit of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the Bangsamoro Organic Law,” Galvez said in a statement.
According to Galvez, former BARMM interim chief minister Ahod Ebrahim sent a letter of resignation to Marcos “to focus on the upcoming first parliamentary elections in the BARMM” as he is running for a parliament seat in the October 13 polls.
To fill in the absence, Marcos appointed Macacua, a long-time chief of staff of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), as the new interim chief minister of BARMM. He took his oath before Marcos last March 12.
Galvez hosted an iftar (breaking of the fast) for the 19 base commanders of the MILF at the OPAPRU office in Cotabato City on Sunday.
During the iftar, Galvez and the base commanders discussed the leadership change in BARMM and the ongoing implementation of the Normalization Program, a key component of CAB which aims to transform former MILF combatants into peaceful and productive civilians, and their areas into progressive and resilient communities.
According to OPAPRU, the MILF base commanders issued a message of gratitude to Ebrahim, who is also the chairman of the MILF, for his “wisdom, leadership, services, and sacrifices [that] have laid the foundation for the Bangsamoro.”
They have also expressed their support for Macacua, describing him as “a leader who has walked alongside us in our struggle, a brother who understands the sacrifices and aspirations of our people.”
The OPAPRU said the MILF base commanders believe that under Macacua’s guidance, the Bangsamoro “will continue to move forward with strength, unity, and dignity.”
If the OPAPRU is to be believed, the scenario was far different from the statement issued by the MILF, rejecting the appointment of Macacua.
In its statement, the MILF said the appointment of Macacua and new Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) members bypassed their recommendations as only 35 out of the 41 recommendees were officially designated by Marcos.
“With only 35 MILF nominees appointed, the MILF's leadership in the BTA hangs in the balance, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the transition period and the commitment of the parties to the peace agreement,” the MILF said.
The deviation, according to MILF, undermines Section 2, Article XVI of the BOL which provides that “the Moro Islamic Liberation Front shall lead the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, without prejudice to the participation of the Moro National Liberation Front in its membership.”
The group also emphasized that the move violated the CAB, particularly on the Annex on Transitional Arrangements II.B.2., which provides that the BTA shall be MILF-led.
The Bangsamoro peace process was settled in 2017 with the signing of the CAB, the passing of the BOL, and the plebiscite which established BARMM in 2019.
As part of the Normalization Program, the OPAPRU targets to decommission 40,000 MILF combatants in five phases, but even this has faced some delays due to several factors, including the finalization of the official list of verified MILF beneficiaries.