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Jean Mangaluz - Philstar.com
March 10, 2025 | 6:36pm
The BARMM administration building in Cotabato City.
PNA / Photo courtesy of Bangsamoro Information Office-BARMM
MANILA, Philippines — The Palace said it does not anticipate unrest following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s appointment of a new interim chief minister for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Over the weekend, the Palace confirmed that Maguindanao del Norte Gov. Abdulraof Macacua has replaced Ahod "Al Haj Murad" Ebrahim as the new interim chief minister of BARMM.
“Sa kasalukuyan po, wala po tayong nakikitang anumang maaaring maging dahilan para magkagulo kung magkakaroon man ng transfer of power sa BARMM,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing on Monday, March 10.
(At present, we do not see any reason for there to be any unrest during the transfer of power during BARMM.)
Castro also said that Ebrahim has been part of the peace process, so they do not see him trying to undo their work.
Meanwhile, Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. welcomed the appointment of Macacua. He said that Marcos’ decision to appoint Macacua aligned with the current realities of the BARMM.
“For the continuity and success of the Bangsamoro peace agreement, we place our trust in Interim Chief Minister Macacua as he takes the helm of governance, especially with the first parliamentary elections just seven months away,” Galvez said.
“We call on the Bangsamoro people to support the new leadership and continue the trek on the path of peace in the Bangsamoro region. Together, we must build upon the gains of the peace process,” he added.
This move by Marcos followed the postponement of the first-ever BARMM elections. Marcos approved the law delaying the elections from May to October. Lawmakers cited the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to exclude Sulu from the BARMM as the reason for the necessary readjustment in the region’s parliamentary systems.
