Group backs MILF’s Ebrahim as new BARMM gov’t head

COTABATO CITY – A civil society organization threw its support behind Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim as chief minister of the incoming first regular Bangsamoro Parliament.

Datu Tokz Abudulrahman, convenor of the Save Bangsamoro Movement (SBM), said his group relayed its preference for Ebrahim in a letter to President Ferdinand Jr., noting the MILF chair’s return as chief minister could “significantly advance the Bangsamoro peace process.”

The group urged Marcos to seriously consider Ebrahim’s role in restoring confidence among peace stakeholders, as it cautioned him against interfering in the parliamentary process governing the selection of the chief minister.

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READ: Peace adviser: New Bangsamoro Parliament must choose its leadersIn backing Ebrahim to become the chief minister of the first regular Bangsamoro Parliament, SBS stressed the need to hasten the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), particularly the normalization track that includes the decommissioning of MILF combatants, which was stalled due to the apparent failure of the government to deliver on its socioeconomic promises.

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The CAB’s political track is considered completed with the successful holding of the Sept. 14 parliamentary elections, where winners start serving their mandate on October 30 until June 30, 2031.

Among the first regular parliamentary business on October 30 is to install the chief minister. The electorate did not directly elect the chief minister. Members of Parliament will elect the chief minister from among themselves.

READ: BFP claims majority in BARMM Parliament with 46-seat coalition

Abudulrahman, who submitted their letter to the Malacañang Records Office – Presidential Archives on Monday, called for Ebrahim’s return to the leadership of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), claiming that he remained the “preferred leader of Bangsamoro communities.”“Malacañang has already tried changing the leadership in BARMM, but the peace process has failed to move forward,” he said, referring to the designation of Abdulraof Macacua as interim chief minister in March last year.

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Macacua, also a senior MILF member and former chief of staff of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), replaced Ebrahim, who served as the regional government head since its establishment in 2019.

Abudulrahman said that Ebrahim’s return as BARMM chief minister “is necessary to advance the CAB and achieve just and lasting peace in the region.”

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The CAB was signed by the government and the MILF in 2014 after 17 years of peace negotiations.

Abdulrahman claimed that, with Macacua as interim chief minister, the Annex on Normalization has not substantially progressed.

The group pointed out that the suspension ordered by the MILF Central Committee on the fourth and last phase of decommissioning, allegedly due to the failure of the government to deliver on its socioeconomic promises to previously deactivated MILF combatants, has stalled progress in the other components of the peace process, apparently alluding to the transformation of MILF camps into productive economic zones.

The delays undermine the transition of former MILF combatants to civilian life and the trust built through years of negotiations, it said.

Still, the CSO  called on the national government to remain actively involved in implementing the CAB and holding dialog with Bangsamoro stakeholders and peace mechanisms.

Both government and MILF peace panels met last month in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and agreed to hasten the decommissioning process.

READ: Gov’t, MILF agree to hasten stalled decommissioning process

Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento assured the government was committed to implementing the CAB’s normalization phase, particularly the decommissioning component.

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As the first regular parliament is about to begin, the SBM group stressed that political alliances and leadership changes should not undermine the gains of the Bangsamoro peace process, noting it should remain central to the region’s political transition./coa