The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) gathered over the weekend hundreds of key officials, political and military leaders, religious sectors and stakeholders at Camp Darapanan, its headquarters in Maguindanao del Norte.
The attendees aired concerns about the “dire impact” of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s new appointments to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA)—the interim government of the six-year-old Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM)—on the peace process.
“The MILF Central Committee learned the agony, growing frustrations and concerns of the attendees over the recent presidential appointments in the BTA, which failed to adhere strictly to the officially endorsed list of 41 nominees submitted by the MILF,” the group said in a statement on Sunday night, March 16.
The MILF statement referred to the law creating the BARMM, the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). It states that the interim government must be MILF-led and the power to appoint its members rests on the president.
Since BARMM’s creation in 2019, 41 seats or majority of the 80-member BTA were occupied by MILF nominees.
The MILF said only 35 of its nominees were appointed by Marcos, which it said “can be categorized as meddling into the internal affairs of the MILF and directly erodes the principle of autonomy” enunciated in BOL.
The statement said it also “does not help” that Marcos appointed Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Abdulraof Macacua as the BARMM’s new chief minister despite its repeated recommendations to retain MILF chairman Ahod Ebrahim in the position.
“It does not help that the national government unilaterally decided to appoint a new interim chief minister (ICM) despite the repeated sentiments of the MILF Central Committee, issued through various resolutions, to retain the then sitting ICM,” the statement added.
The group released the statement four days after Macacua took his oath as the new BARMM chief minister before Marcos on March 12.
The MILF Central Committee said it is important to protect the peace process and “for the Bangsamoro people to remain united.”
“Everyone was reminded to reject any attempt to sow division and pit a brother against another,” the statement added.
Presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez maintained that the new appointments adhere to the spirit of the BOL.
He said Ebrahim sent a letter of resignation to Marcos on March 3 “to focus on the upcoming first parliament elections in the BARMM” on October 13.
An alleged copy of the resignation letter has been circulating online but questions have been raised about its authenticity. No one from the MILF has commented on the document.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro reiterated the president’s “prerogative” to appoint the BARMM’s chief minister.
She called on the MILF leadership to give the new appointees a chance. “Kapagka po hindi naging maayos ang magiging pamumuno ng bagong ICM (interim chief minister), maaari po nating pag-usapan muli ito para po sa ikakaganda po ng nasabi pong Bangsamoro (If the leadership of the new ICM does not go well, we can discuss this again for the betterment of the Bangsamoro),” she said on March 17.
77 BTA members
The BARMM is a product of a 2014 peace deal between the government and the MILF. The former rebel group vowed to end its secession bid in exchange for autonomous governance in the region.
Newly appointed and reappointed members of the BTA took their oath of office on March 15. The oathtaking, led by Macacua, was witnessed by Galvez.
Click to see the list of new members of the BTA released by the Bangsamoro government:
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism reported the change of leadership in the BARMM on March 9 based on a confirmation from Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro.
Local government officials in the region immediately expressed support. BARMM and MILF figures initially projected unity within the former rebel group despite the replacement of the MILF chairman.
Macacua is the chief of staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), the group’s armed wing. He also served as senior minister of BARMM and minister of environment, natural resources, and energy. In 2023, he was appointed as Maguindanao del Norte governor.
A day later, on March 10, the Presidential Communications Office released an incomplete list of the newly appointed BTA members.
Before midnight on March 11, the MILF Central Committee released an editorial that raised questions about the appointments.
According to the editorial, “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 editorial also warned that “altering the composition of the BTA without MILF consent, the administration risks deepening political divisions and reigniting frustrations among former combatants and their communities.”
It said the MILF was looking at “legal and diplomatic avenues to challenge” Marcos’ appointments.
The editorial did not deter Malacañang.
Macacua took his oath in Malacañang on March 12. On the same day, 12 BIAF base commanders signed a statement in support of the new chief minister and thanked Ebrahim for his leadership.
In a press conference the day after, Macacua said that his appointment was still “part of the negotiation” in the peace process.
He also said that MILF chairman Ebrahim vacated the post in order to focus on the parliamentary elections. Ebrahim is also the chairman of the MILF’s political party United Bansamoro Justice Party (UBJP).
“Since the forthcoming election is fast approaching, he (Ebrahim) decided to vacate the position to focus on the preparation of the UBJP in the coming local elections and also the forthcoming October parliamentary elections,” Macacua said.
On March 15, a total of 77 appointees were sworn in in Manila.
Camp Darapanan meeting
MILF Chairman Ebrahim and chief peace negotiator Mohagher Iqbal, the group’s two highest ranking officials, were not seen in the photos of newly sworn-in BTA members released by the Bangsamoro government.
The two MILF leaders led the consultative meeting at Camp Darapanan the next day.
Six front commanders and 33 base commanders from the BIAF also issued a statement of support for Ebrahim.
Throughout the day, an alleged signed copy of Ebrahim’s resignation letter dated March 3 circulated online. No one from the MILF has confirmed if the document was indeed signed by Ebrahim.
On March 17, presidential peace adviser Galvez’s office confirmed the resignation letter.
Photos of Galvez’s meeting with 19 MILF base commanders to discuss the transition of new leadership in the Bangsamoro were also shared.
Leadership change was not a surprise
The leadership reshuffle surprised many Bangsamoro residents but not BARMM insiders.
In July 2024, a leaked voice recording of known Marcos political supporter, South Cotabato Gov. Reynaldo Tamayo Jr., surfaced, reportedly telling local executives in the BARMM that the chief minister would “be replaced.”
Mayors from Lanao del Sur said they witnessed Tamayo’s statements.
A month later, a report by the Institute for Policy Analysis and Conflict said that Malacañang favors Macacua partly because “he oversaw the armed combatants and was thus critical to the decommissioning.”
The unfinished decommissioning of MILF combatants has been at a standstill since August 2023.
What finally gave way to Macacua’s appointment and the current shakeup of the Bangsamoro government was the passing of Republic Act (RA) 12123 last month.
The law primarily postponed the first parliamentary elections in the BARMM from May 12 to October 13 this year. But it also allowed Marcos to replace BTA members.
The retention of the BTA members was pushed based on the argument that the new members will only have less than a year to serve. The next few months before the October elections are crucial as the BTA is expected to address issues arising from Sulu’s exclusion from BARMM.
The tasks include the reapportionment of the seven parliamentary seats that were previously assigned to Sulu.
Macacua and the fresh set of appointees will serve until members are elected during the rescheduled regional polls.
The new Bangsamoro government assured a “smooth” transition of governance.
“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,” it said in a statement. — PCIJ.org