NEWS




18February

Pres. Duterte to name BTA members on Wednesday

Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao– Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) In¬formation Committee chief, and Commissioner of Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) Mohagher Iqbal told Manila Bulletin that President Ro¬drigo Duterte is expected to name the 80-member Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) in Malacañang on Wednesday.

Under the MILF Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the BTC shall be MILF-led with 41 members. 

MILF Chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim is expected to become the transition’s Chief Minister.

Iqbal also disclosed to Manila Bulletin that the front’s 41 nominees would include five lawyers, four women, a Christian, a representative from the indigenous people community, two Filipi¬no-Chinese businessmen, two traditional leaders, and some religious leaders.

He said that the MILF submitted to the President the list of nominees early December, said the Manila Bulletin in its report on Saturday. The said list was already submitted to the Office of the President by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP). 

OPAPP has also submitted 39 nominees to the Office of the President.

Aside from the 80 BTA members who will be appointed by Pres. Duterte, the new body will also be composed of elected government officials of the Au¬tonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), as provided under Article 16, Section 2 of the Republic Act 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the Manila Bulletin report said.

The MILF also clarified that a list of its nominees, which mostly contain the group’s ranking officials, that spread through social media was unofficial.

Iqbal had earlier admitted that run¬ning a government is different from run¬ning a revolutionary organization.

He added that BTA task will never be easy as it is expected to ensure a smooth transition from ARMM to BARMM.

“Governance is different from run¬ning a revolutionary struggle,” Iqbal said in earlier interviews with Manila Bulletin. “Mas mahirap ang governance especially when you look at transition period. Three years, isusulat mo yung mga codes. Uubos yan ng oras.” 

The Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (OLBARMM) was passed by congress in July, signed by the president last year after rigorous deliberations. 

The yes vote won in the ARMM, Cotabato City, and in 63 villages of North Cotabato. 

Lanao del Norte, and Isabela City rejected the BOL. 

The results of the two-phase plebiscite have been proclaimed and ratified the Commission on Election (COMELEC). (Source: Manila Bulletin)