President Duterte yesterday called on the interim government of the new Bangsamoro region to oversee the three-year transition period to the best of their ability and work for the interest of the people.
The President said the Bangsamoro Transition Authority led by Moro Islamic Liberation Front chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim must also help promote the rule of law and good governance in the new autonomous region.
Murad has been appointed to serve as interim chief minister of the Bangsamoro caretaker government until the new regional leaders are elected in 2022.
“As you lead this new region towards a brighter tomorrow, I ask you never to waver in your commitment to build an institution that is founded on the rule of law, the promotion of good governance, and the defense of our most cherished democratic values,” Duterte said during the oath-taking of the 80-member BTA in Malacañang.
“Always work for the best interest and welfare, not only of the Bangsamoro people, but every Filipino who live in that region. I trust that you will oversee the transition period to the best of your abilities, especially in the decommissioning of firearms and former combatants,” he added.
The President also challenged the BTA members to “always embody the dreams and aspirations of the great men and women who came before you and fought for the recognition of your right to determine your future.”
Murad and dozens of representatives from the Moro and non-Moro groups, indigenous peoples, women, youth, settler communities, and traditional leaders took their oath of office before the President during the Palace ceremony.
Among the Bangsamoro transition leaders are Abdullah Macapaar, also known as “Commander Bravo,” a MILF commander who led the attacks in Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato in 2008 after a botched ancestral domain pact.
The President has welcomed the inclusion of Commander Bravo in the transition government in the Bangsamoro region. “Well, he is a revolutionary. We are talking here of ending a revolution. So you should talk to a revolutionary or a warrior of that war,” he said in a later interview with reporters in Malacanang. (Genalyn Kabiling)
