A PALACE official yesterday said the leadership transition in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is not expected to result in any unrest or conflict in the region even as Presidential Peace and Unity Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. urged the Bangsamoro people to support the new leadership and to continue building on the gains of the peace process.
Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro yesterday said the national government does not foresee any signs of unrest following the replacement of Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim and the appointment of BARMM parliamentary member Abdulraof “Sammy Gambar” Macacua as interim chief minister of the region.
“Wala po tayong nakikitang anumang maaaring maging dahilan para magkagulo kung magkakaroon man ng transfer of power sa BARMM. At ang katauhan po nitong si Chief Ahod Ebrahim, isa po siya sa proponent of peace process (We do not see any reason for a possible unrest in case of the transfer of power in BARMM. It is not in the character of Chief Ahod Ebrahim, who is one of the proponents of the peace process),” Castro said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has named Macacua as the new interim minister of BARMM, but Malacañang did not give any reason for the leadership change.
Macacua, a senior member of the MILF and is the concurrent secretary general of the group’s political arm – the Bangsamoro Justice Party. He is also the chief of staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) of the MILF.
He is one of the commissioners of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) and a senior minister of the Bangsamoro government.
He also previously served as BARMM’s minister of Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy (2019 to 2022); chaired two statutory committees in the BTA, namely the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Energy, and Committee on Public Works; and chaired the cluster cabinet committee assigned to draft the Bangsamoro Electoral Code known as the Cabinet Committee on Electoral Code.
Meanwhile, Galvez, in a statement, called on the Bangsamoro people to “support the new leadership and continue the trek on the path of peace in the Bangsamoro region.”
“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. President Marcos’ political decision aligns well with the current realities in the Bangsamoro,” Galvez said.
He said Macacua’s appointment is expected to further strengthen the leadership foundation established by Ebrahim in the ongoing transition period of the Bangsamoro region.
“I welcome the leadership change in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. This transition comes at a crucial time as the Bangsamoro region prepares for a significant milestone — its first parliamentary elections in October this year,” Galvez said.
“For years, I have personally witnessed interim Chief Minister Macacua’s determination and resilience in our numerous collaborations to ensure stability in the region,” he added.
Galvez also thanked Ebrahim for his services to the Bangsamoro and for laying the foundation to the peace and development of the region.
“I wholeheartedly express my gratitude to chair Ebrahim for his leadership and vision, particularly in fostering meaningful autonomy for the Bangsamoro people and advancing the peace process in the region,” he said.
