Macacua takes oath as BARMM chief minister

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulraof Abdul Macacua was sworn in on Thursday, replacing Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, in a ceremony attended by representatives of various sectors in the autonomous region.

Macacua will serve as interim head of the 80-seat parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The ceremony was held at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex in Cotabato City.

Macacua commended Ebrahim for managing the autonomous region for almost six years.

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

Ebrahim was BARMM’s first chief minister, having been appointed in 2019 by then president Rodrigo Duterte.

Early this month, President Marcos designated Macacua as chief minister of the BARMM, replacing Ebrahim.

Macacua said he would strengthen public service thrusts for Muslim, Christian and non-Moro indigenous communities in the autonomous region.

The BARMM is composed of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur and Tawi-Tawi as well as the cities of Lamitan, Marawi and Cotabato, which comprise the region’s special geographic areas.