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MANILA (SDN) — Moro Islamic Liberation Front-Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (MILF-BIAF) Chief of Staff Abdulraof Macacua (Sammy Gambar) is the new Bangsamoro interim chief minister.
He replaces MILF Chairman Ahod Balawag “Al-Haj Murad” Ebrahim as chief minister, who was appointed to the position by the then-President Rodrigo R. Duterte in 2019 when the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) established the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the new political entity (NPE) that replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) reported on Sunday, March 9, Macacua’s appointment, citing Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro.
“Confirming the appointment as Interim Chief Minister of BARMM,” the PCIJ cited Castro’s statement.
In 2022, Marcos re-appointed Ebrahim to the BARMM’s highest position.
Macacua and the expected new appointees to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) will serve the remaining term of the BTA until regular BARMM officials shall have been elected on October 13, 2025, when the first parliamentary polls are conducted.
Both Ebrahim and Macacau filed their Certificates of Candidacy (COC) for the regional parliamentary election, the former as nominee of the MILF’s United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the latter running for Maguindanao del Norte’s district seat.
The first regular election in the BARMM was supposed to be synchronized with the May 12, 2025, with the National and Local Elections (NLE). But it was postponed for five months, following clamor from Bangsamoro officials for the BTA’s Parliament to complete its legislative work leading to the establishment of the regular regional government.
After a spate of rumors circulating among the Bangsamoro residents, Malacañang has finally confirmed President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s appointment of Macacua.
Oathtaking in Malacañang under preparation
Republic Act No. 121213 which postponed the parliamentary polls gave the President the power to appoint new BARMM interim officials — “unless such interim members are replaced by the President or their tenure is shortened by their election to a different office.”
The BTA has 80 Members of the Parliament (MPs), 41 of them from the MILF side, and 39 on the government side.
In 2024, the MILF announced its transformation to a “social movement”, relinquishing its armed revolutionary struggle, as well as denouncing violence as means to political end.
The shift from armed revolutionary struggle to (unarmed) social movement was made during the September 23-24, 2025, Consultative Meeting and General Assembly in Camp Darapanan, Crossing Simuay, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte, BARMM.
Macacua was a former Parliament member and minister of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (MENRE), then appointed by Marcos as interim governor of Maguindanao del Norte after the division of the then-monolithic Maguindanao province, the other Maguindanao del Sur with Bai Mariam Sangki Mangudadatu as governor.
Macacua was also BARMM senior minister.
SDN – SciTech & Digital News first heard of Macacau’s appointment on the morning of March 7 during a visit to Family Beach Resort in the municipality Linamon, Lanao del Norte, a “relative” of a former provincial official of Basilan relayed the information.
“Salam, iba na ang CM (chief minister), si Macacua na,” the source said. (Salam, there’s a new CM, it’s Macacua already.)
The Bangsamoro government has 15 primary ministries headed mostly by MILF leaders.
A source in Manila close to Macacua said his oathtaking in Malacañang is already being arranged. — (EDD K. USMAN/SDN)