Former BTA MPs organize to keep serving Bangsamoro

COTABATO CITY — Former members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament have organized themselves into an association that seeks to keep them in the service of the Bangsamoro even after their time in the regional legislature.

Officers of the Association of Former Members of the Parliament (AFMP) took their oath before BTA Parliament Speaker Mohammad Yacob on Monday, as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) prepares to transition to its first regular government on Oct. 30, following the historic Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections on Sept. 14.

The BTA Parliament created the AFMP through Parliament Resolution No. 562, adopted on Nov. 17, 2025, during its Fourth Regular Session. The resolution authorized the Speaker to establish the association to enhance governance, community engagement, and the preservation of the legislative heritage of the Bangsamoro region.

The resolution describes the AFMP as a formal platform through which former parliamentarians may continue offering their expertise and advice on issues facing the region. It also tasks the association with documenting the legislative history of the Bangsamoro Parliament and the contributions of its members for future generations.

Former MP Maisara Dandamun-Latiph was elected founding president of the association and will serve until Oct. 30, 2031.

“Our desire to serve the Bangsamoro never ends. We are ready to help the best way we can,” Latiph told reporters.

She said that once the regular parliament begins its legislative work, the AFMP will serve as “institutional guardians, bridge-builders, and active development partners.”

Latiph was a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission from 2017 to 2019, the body that drafted the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which was later enacted as the Bangsamoro Organic Law. She served as MP from 2019 to 2022 and later chaired the Marawi Compensation Board from January 2023 to March 2025.

Yacob underscored the importance of keeping former parliamentarians engaged, saying their insights and skills remain valuable to the Bangsamoro beyond their terms in the legislature.

Former MP Khalid Hadji Abdullah said the formation of the AFMP marks an important step in sustaining cooperation among its members, even outside government.

“The newly elected officers are expected to lead the association in advancing these objectives and promoting unity and continued service among former members of parliament,” Abdullah said.

Under the resolution, the AFMP operates under the Office of the Speaker, which provides the association with a room and a secretariat.

At least 79 former parliamentarians currently compose the association. They come from the three compositions of the BTA Parliament: the first, which served from February 2019 to August 2022; the second, from September 2022 to February 2025; and the third, which took office in March 2025.