NEWLY appointed chief of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Barmm), Maguindanao del Norte Governor Abdulraof Macacua officially assumed the role of leading the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), replacing Ahod "Al Haj Murad" Ebrahim, on Thursday, March 20, 2025 after his installation at the Office of the Chief Minister, Bangsamoro Government Center, Cotabato City.
This follows after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. appointed Macacua on March 3 as the second interim chief minister of the six-year-old autonomous Mindanao region.
Barmm will hold its first-ever parliamentary elections in October 2025, marking a crucial phase in the region's transition to a fully electoral government.
On the same day, Macacua addressed Mindanao-based journalists, expressing his gratitude to the people of Barmm and the country's highest executive. He acknowledged the trust placed in him by President Marcos to “pursue the peace process between the Moro people and the Philippine government.”
As the new head of Bar, Macacua signed his first-ever administrative order: the Special Ameliorative Measure. This order will provide a one-time allowance of P10,000 to over 40,000 Barmm employees in observance of Ramadan. The recipients of this allowance will include regular, contractual, and job-order employees, as well as teachers in the region.
Earlier in the day, BTA Parliament member Mohagher Iqbal expressed his concerns during a special press conference with the same group of Mindanao-based journalists. While Iqbal acknowledged and respected Marcos's decision to appoint Macacua, he emphasized the importance of adhering to the processes and procedures outlined in the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) to sustain the peace process.
He also stressed the need to avoid any further conflicts concerning the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the final peace agreement between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Philippine government.
Section 2, Article XVI of the BOL explicitly states that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) shall lead the BTA.
Despite not being the top nominee for the position, Macacua’s appointment as interim Chief Minister has sparked controversy and debate within the MILF community.
Macacua’s background includes serving as Barmm's Minister for Environment, Natural Resources, and Energy until 2019. He later became the Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Governor of Maguindanao del Norte, officially assuming the role of governor on April 28, 2023.
To recall, the Central Committee of the MILF has rejected the appointment of Macacua as the leader of the Moro people. The committee issued this statement on Sunday, following its Consultative Assembly, which was attended by key MILF officials, political and military leaders, religious representatives, and other Bangsamoro stakeholders.
The MILF Central Committee expressed concerns that the appointment of only 35 MILF nominees raises serious doubts about the integrity of the transition period and the commitment of the involved parties to the peace agreement.
“It is in the best interest of all that the MILF leadership is consulted and that its decisions on critical issues concerning the Bangsamoro are respected,” the MILF emphasized in its statement.
Furthermore, the committee noted that the national government’s unilateral decision to appoint a new interim chief minister, despite the repeated resolutions from the MILF Central Committee calling for the retention of the sitting ICM, is unhelpful. DEF