New BARMM chief minister recognized

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — The Army’s 6th Infantry Division and the military’s Western Mindanao Command had separately expressed recognition of the new Bangsamoro chief minister and assured of support for his peace and development initiatives for the Muslim, Christian and non-Moro indigenous communities in the autonomous region.

Army Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete, commander of the WestMinCom based in Zamboanga City, told reporters on Tuesday, March 18, while he was at 6th ID’s headquarters in Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte that he and his subordinates had released a written statement congratulating Abdulrauf Macacua, who was appointed as Bangsamoro chief minister early this month by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Macacua, acting governor of Maguindanao del Norte prior to his designation as chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, is the chief of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces-Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

He replaced BARMM’s first ever chief minister, Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, chairman of the MILF’s central committee, who got to the helm of Bangsamoro government in early 2019.

Certain MILF members close to Ebrahim ranted on the appointment of Macacua as chief minister, arguing that there was no prior consultation about it among leaders of the front in the five provinces and three cities in the autonomous region. 

“Along that statement is our commitment to support extensively the peace and development efforts of Chief Minister Macacua in the provinces and cities in the Bangsamoro region," Nafarrete said. 

The 6th ID, covering BARMM’s adjoining Maguindanao del Sur and Maguindanao del Norte provinces and the regional capital Cotabato City, had also distributed a similar written official statement to media outfits in Central Mindanao last Tuesday.

Major Gen. Donald Gumiran, commander of 6th ID, said their congratulatory message for Macacua is parallel with WestMinCom's official statement.

“Our official statement is also a direct commitment from us to protect and sustain the dividends of the national government’s peace process with the Moro communities in areas where we have units," Gumiran said.