Murad declines seat in BARMM parliament

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Former Bangsamoro region interim chief minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim has declined his appointment as a member of the autonomous region’s parliament, but said he would continue leading the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and its political party.

Ebrahim, who was replaced by Abdulraof Macacua as interim chief minister earlier this month, broke his silence on the transition, expressing support for his successor. His statement was released the same day newly appointed members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) are scheduled to take their oath in Malacañang on Monday afternoon, March 24.

“Abdulraof A. Macacua… brings a wealth of experience to this new role. He leaves his position as the governor of Maguindanao de Norte while still being chief of staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) of the MILF. His leadership and commitment to peace and development in the region are well-documented. I wish him well in his endeavors,” Ebrahim said in a statement.

Ebrahim also thanked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for offering him a seat in the interim Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliament but opted to turn it down.

“I have decided to respectfully decline said appointment,” he said

Ebrahim said he would continue to guide, and support Macacua in governing the BARMM.

A formal turnover ceremony from Ebrahim to Macacua is scheduled for March 27 at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex in Cotabato City.

Macacua, addressing journalists during his first day in office on Thursday, March 20, dismissed speculation of a breakup within the MILF but acknowledged that some members were unsettled by the leadership change.

“There [is a] small ‘sulking mood’ but [I am] confident that we would be able to overcome this given our deep ties as Moro revolutionaries who have been together in the Bangsamoro struggle for the last 54 years,” he said.

Some MILF members have raised concerns over the appointment process, arguing it may have gone against the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

BARMM Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal, a former head negotiator for the MILF, said the government’s approach to Bangsamoro leadership had been inconsistent, causing uncertainty among the people.

Iqbal cited a clause in the Bangsamoro Organic Law which states that the MILF should lead the BTA as the interim regional government.

Macacua, however, is a key official of the MILF and is still the head of the Front’s military arm.

Despite concerns, Macacua has given assurances that the Bangsamoro government remains under MILF leadership, a statement echoed by Carlito Galvez Jr., presidential adviser on peace, reconciliation, and unity.

Galvez noted that some government appointees in the Bangsamoro administration are also MILF members. He added that Macacua had been considered for the chief minister role in 2022 but had stepped aside in favor of Ebrahim at the time.

The BARMM was established in 2019 as a result of a peace deal in 2014 between the MILF and the government, aimed at ending decades of conflict in predominantly Muslim areas in Mindanao. 

The Bangsamoro region remains under a transitional government as it prepares for its first parliamentary elections set for October. – Rappler.com