Ex-BARMM chief declines appointment

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Former Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao chief minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim has declined his appointment by President Marcos as a member of the 80-seat BARMM parliament.

“I have decided to respectfully decline that appointment,” said Ebrahim, who was installed as BARMM chief minister in 2019 by then president Rodrigo Duterte.

Marcos swore in newly appointed members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) yesterday at Malacañang, reminding them of the shared responsibility to protect the gains of the peace process and to ensure the region’s uninterrupted advancement.

“With you at the helm, I am confident that you will continue to prove that the implementation of every single signed agreement… is a step toward long-lasting peace,” he said.

The President also led the breaking of the fast or Iftar – a celebration in solidarity with the Bangsamoro community as they observe the holy month of Ramadan.

Marcos designated early this month Abdulrauf Abdul Macacua as BARMM’s new chief minister.

The President also appointed more than 70 regional lawmakers, among them Ebrahim.

Yesterday, Ebrahim acknowledged Macacua’s appointment through a congratulatory message that was also dispatched to media outfits here.

Ebrahim is chairman of the central committee of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front while Macacua is the chief of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces.

Macacua told reporters yesterday that he “appreciates deeply” the role of Ebrahim in setting up the facets for regional governance in the context of Muslim autonomy as conceptualized by the MILF and the national government after two decades of peace talks. — Helen Flores