Revamp in BARMM government underway

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim has ordered his subordinate-ministers and their deputies to file courtesy resignation in preparation for a revamp in the regional government.

A copy of Ebrahim’s memorandum, dated Feb. 8, 2022, was circulated to reporters in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao on Saturday.

He stated in his directive that to prevent a vacuum in the operations of the regional government, the director-general for each of the ministries shall oversee delivery of services to BARMM residents while the selection and appointment of full-fledged ministers are underway.

The creation of the BARMM government, established only in 2019, is a product of 22 years of peace talks between Malacañang and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

The MILF’s central committee is led by Ebrahim.

The BARMM has about 20 ministries and support offices under the office of the regional chief minister.

The BARMM has a charter, the Republic Act 11054, whose ratification via a plebiscite in early 2019 replaced the then 29-year Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with a more empowered Bangsamoro regional government.