Featured image above shows NCMF Secretary Sabuddin N. Abdurahim swearing in his office new Commissioner Bai Baicon Cayongkat. (Credit: NCMF Information)
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MANILA, May 6, 2026 (SDN) — President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. should complete the set of nine commissioners of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF).
So far, as of today, Wednesday, the NCMF only has 3 commissioners — Secretary/CEO Sheikh Sabuddin N. Abdurahim, Masideng Salic, and the latest to be appointed, Bae Baicon Cayongkat-Nuska.
But six more are needed to be appointed so the NCMF, which is a collegial body, in order for its policy making functions to continue and flourish.
The Commission needs at least five commissioners to form a quoruom.
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UPDATE, Friday, May 8:
Malacañang has released two more new appointees for NCMF commissioners, such as Abunnapis Omar Abdulmajid for Yakan tribe, and Abdulkhabir Isa Musa (Tausog) for Ulama Sector.
Sources said one of the ways to be appointed to the NCMF is to be endorsed by a governor/s of the provinces of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
But the constant is to be endorsed by the NCMF secretary.
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Current and retired officials of the NCMF, which is under the supervision of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) headed by Secretary Jonvic Remulla, in an interview with SDN Online called on the President to order the DILG to hasten the vetting of applicants for the remaining commissioner positions.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, they that said since the NCMF is a collegial body, a quoruom is required by law for En Banc meetings to decide on new policies.
They added that they learned and understand the DILG is still vetting applicants and it needs to be through.
“But the vetting process should be stepped up, specially that the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) is fast approaching, and appointing new commissioners might be overtaken by prohibition on hiring,” one of the sources emphasizes.
NCMF commissioners have four years term of service, while the secretary, who is also a commissioner, has two years.
Republic Act (R.A.) No. 9997 mandates that ethnic communities or tribes of the Moro people has representatives in the Commission, as well as for Women, Youth, and others.
Cayongkat-Nuska has a long track record of service to the public through the Bangsamoro Youth Movement (BYM), Ranao Center for Peace and Development, Tabang Mindanao, Raheemah Economic Hub, and World Food Programme (WFP).
The NCMF replaced and abolished through R.A. No. 9997 the now-defunct Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA). — EDD K. USMAN
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Source: Bangsamoro News Watch