Palace to MILF: Give new BARMM interim chief a chance

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with Abdulraof Macacua, the new interim chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. — Photo from Marcos’ Facebook page

MANILA, Philippines — The Palace on Monday called on the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to give the new interim chief of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) a chance.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro made the pronouncement after the MILF Central Committee rejected the appointment of Abdulraof Macacua as the new BARMM interim chief minister (ICM).

READ: MILF central committee rejects Macacua’s BARMM appointment

“The people who attended the MILF Consultative Assembly said that the President has the prerogative to appoint an interim chief minister,” she said in Filipino.

“As of now, this is still very new. Our request to the leadership of the MILF is to give the newly appointed ICM a chance. If the leadership of the new ICM does not work out, we can discuss this again for the betterment of the said Bangsamoro and the MILF,” she added.

When asked if the friction could potentially compromise the peace deal with the MILF, Castro responded in the negative.

On March 9, the Palace confirmed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Macacua as BARMM ICM.

READ: Palace confirms Abdulraof Macacua is new BARMM chief minister

The MILF then expressed discontent with the appointment, saying “stakeholders hold the view that such a decision should have taken into careful consideration the position of the MILF.”

The MILF pointed out that only 35 out of the 41 names formally endorsed by the MILF were appointed by Marcos, which according to the MILF, undermines Section 2, Article XVI of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

The law states that “the MILF shall lead the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, without prejudice to the participation of the Moro National Liberation Front in its membership.”