MILF formally takes over Bangsamoro autonomous region

February 26, 2019

COTABATO CITY — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front ( MILF)  formally took over Tuesday the leadership of Autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao.

At the Shariff Kabunsuan Complex in this city, now center of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, MILF chieftain and appointed interim chief minister Aj-Haj Murad Ebrahim, who led the historic turnover  with outgoing ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman, said they are entering another level of jihad to wage against themselves.

“Now the government that we have longed dreamed of, fought and struggle for, is finally establish in our homeland. The trust and responsibility over the Bangsamoro government  is now in our hands. We are accountable for it to Allah and to our fellow Bangsamoro,” Murad said.

“We are now entering another level  of our jihad…our jihad will be more intense and more challenging…our jihad firstly against our own selves.. We with our enemy in addition to already enumerated enemies now. 

All the ills in the governance of the system..our enemy is graft and corruption..our enemy is manipulation of government..Our enemy nepotism..all those ills of the government,” he added.

Murad urged the public to support them in their new struggle.

“You supported for more than 40 years.. we look forward to everyone to support us in our next level of our jihad. We know that without your support, we will not succeed in our jihad,” he said.

Murad said the new Bangsamoro Region shall take responsibility for the education, health, economic development, strategic infrastructure and moral leadership of people in the expanded Muslim region.

 “I shall be responsible for leaving morally upright bureaucracy,” he said.

In his speech, Murad announced the key BARMM officials.

This includes MILF peace panel's Mohagher Iqbal (education), Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces chief of staff Sammy Al-Mansour (environment and natural resources, energy), MILF Central Committee member Edward Guerra (finance and budget management), and Bangsamoro Transition Commissioner Raissa Jajurie (social services).

 MILF vice chair for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar was named as the speaker of the parliament, while Naguib Sinarimbo will be the minister for the local government. Murad will hold his concurrent position as the public works minister.

Earlier,  Emmanuel Fontanilla, spokesperson of MNLF founder Nur Misuari, said over last weekend they will not recognize the BTA.

Misuari said he would establish a new faction in protest of what he called a “virtual dictatorship” by the Philippines’ largest Muslim rebel group, questioning its ability to govern a new autonomous region.

A religious Muslim leader, Firdausi Abbas,  said they will  establish a new faction in protest of the MILF’s “virtual dictatorship” in BARMM. DMS