Ex-BARMM head breaks silence, declines MP appointment
Former Bangsamoro ICM Ahod Ebrahim —MILF chair official/Facebook
COTABATO CITY, BARMM, Philippines — Former Bangsamoro interim Chief Minister (ICM) Ahod Ebrahim on Monday officially declined the appointment by President Marcos to become a member of parliament (MP) of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).
But Ebrahim, breaking his silence weeks after his surprise removal as the region’s chief, welcomed the appointment of Abdulraof Macacua to head the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Ebrahim issued an official statement expressing his support for Macacua, the acting governor of Maguindanao del Norte before he was appointed ICM and who also heads the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the military arm of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
READ: MILF to question BARMM chief’s appointment
Ebrahim and Macacua are top leaders of MILF, the erstwhile Moro separatist group that had forged a peace accord with the government in 2014, and went on to hold key positions when the BTA, the interim governing body of BARMM, was organized in 2019.
Ebrahim, more known as Al Haj Murad, thanked President Marcos for offering him “another chance to serve in the Bangsamoro as [a] member of the parliament.”
“[But] I have decided to respectfully decline the appointment,” Ebrahim said.
He also thanked the President for the latter’s support of the BARMM and the Mindanao peace process, adding that he would remain as chief of the MILF and president of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party, the MILF’s political arm.
“I will continue to lead the MILF while extending guidance and support to ICM Macacua as we move towards a brighter future for the Bangsamoro people,” Ebrahim said.
It was the first time for Ebrahim to have issued a public statement after news about his replacement made its rounds on social and traditional media, following Malacañang’s March 10 announcement on Macacua’s appointment to the post.
Appreciation
Macacua also issued a separate statement on Monday expressing appreciation for Ebrahim and the MILF central committee “for their remarkable services, dedications, and sacrifices over the years.”
“Under your leadership, we have witnessed significant strides in governance, social justice, and inclusivity. The legacy you leave behind is one that I intend to build upon,” Macacua, who assumed office on Thursday, said.
Macacua said Ebrahim’s “leadership and commitment to peace and development in the region are well documented” and “I wish him well in his endeavor.”
The two leaders have set the formal turnover for the office of the ICM on March 27, the 11th year of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the peace deal signed between the government and the MILF after 17 years of peace negotiations that ended decades of war, senior MILF leader Mohagher Iqbal told journalists touring BARMM last week.
Iqbal, who heads the Education ministry of BARMM, said the official turnover would be attended by both the outgoing and incoming ICM to send a strong signal of the smooth transition between the two MILF leaders.
