President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads the mass oath-taking of all 33 new presidential appointees to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) in a ceremony in Malacañang on Monday afternoon, March 24, with new Interim Chief Minister (ICM) Abdulraof Macacua.
This developed as legal issues raised by Member of Parliament Mohagher Iqbal have been separately clarified by Moro lawyers Michael Mastura and Naguib Sinarimbo.
Iqbal said he recognized the President’s power of appointments, and there was also no specific objection raised against any of the appointees including that of ICM Macacua.
He added that all issue-based concerns have been addressed and settled among the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) ranks.
In his congratulatory note to the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) chief, Iqbal said he committed his support and cooperation with the incoming administration of Macacua.
Commanders of the MILF also said they came to the BARMM Executive Office unarmed (in deference to elections gun-ban) to show they were not opposed to President Marcos’ appointment of Macacua as their new BTA leader.
Outgoing BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim is leaving with an all-set turnover ceremony with incoming ICM Macacua on March 25 in Cotabato City. It was earlier scheduled on March 27, 2025, according to Andrew Alonto, executive director of the Bangsamoro Information Office.