Abdulraof Macacua (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
COTABATO CITY, Maguindanao del Norte, Philipppines — The military chief of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) assumed the post of acting governor of Maguindanao del Norte province on Tuesday, becoming the first high-ranking official of the erstwhile rebel group to take the reins of a local government.
Abdulraof Macacua was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as the officer in charge (OIC) of the new province on Tuesday last week and took his oath in Malacañang the following day.
It was a surprise turn of events that ended months of wrangling by local politicians on who should lead the newly created province after Maguindanao was split into two provinces in September last year.
Facing reporters on Tuesday morning, Macacua said he was also surprised by the appointment but had to “politely and humbly accept the trust and confidence of President Marcos.”
He said that it was former Parang Mayor Ibrahim Ibay who was recommended by the leaderships of the MILF and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to be appointed to the post while Datu Blah Sinsuat Mayor Marcial Sinsuat was recommended as OIC vice governor.
People’s mandate
Macacua assumed office amid a looming legal battle regarding Mr. Marcos’ recent appointments for posts in the newly created provinces of Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur.
Maguindanao del Sur Gov. Bai Mariam Mangudadatu has urged the President to reconsider his decision to appoint her as OIC governor as she also opposed the appointment of Macacua that dislodged her political ally, former Maguindanao Vice Gov. Bai Fatima Ainee Sinsuat. Sinsuat had been appointed OIC vice governor of Maguindanao del Norte.
Lawyer Cyrus Torreña said Mangudadatu could accept her appointment as OIC governor since she was duly elected in the 2022 elections. “Meaning, she has the mandate of the people,” Torreña said.
Torreña said it was not Mangudadatu’s fault that the plebiscite dividing Maguindanao was not done before the May 2022 elections since the poll body had a resolution postponing it.
“If the President will insist on it, then we will go to the Supreme Court because the high court is the last arbiter, the very competent court to interpret the law,” explained Torreña, who is also Maguindanao del Sur provincial administrator.
“We cannot accept that Governor Mariam is only an officer in charge of the province,” said Torreña.
He noted that Mangudadatu was elected governor of Maguindanao by more than 300,000 votes “and all of a sudden, it lost its meaning as she was issued an OIC appointment.”
Macacua, known as Sammy Gambar in MILF circles, welcomed the pronouncements that those opposing the President’s appointments go to the Supreme Court.
He vowed to “make Maguindanao del Norte as the best performing province in terms of governance, especially that it is the host of the BARMM regional government.”
“My governance will be anchored on transparency, accountability and moral governance,” he said, adding that he is open to reconciliation with all other political leaders in the province.
It is not yet known if Macacua had relinquished his post as senior minister in the Office of the Chief Minister and as member of the interim parliament of the Bangsamoro regional government.
He will temporarily hold office at the old regional headquarters of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos on Sinsuat Avenue in Cotabato City. Macacua is eyeing the town of Sultan Kudarat to become the provincial capital of Maguindanao del Norte.