COTABATO CITY — The chief minister of the Bangsamoro region retained six out of more than 30 officials whom he ordered last month to resign as prelude to a revamp in the regional bureaucracy.
Bangsamoro Chief Minister Abdulrauf A. Macacua on Sunday said that he has declined the courtesy resignation of six of his subordinate-ministers, Akmad A. Brahim, natural resources; Ubaida C. Pacasem, budget and finance; Kadil M. Sinolinding, health; Muslimin G. Sema, labor and employment; Raissa H. Jajurie, social services; and Jehan A. Usop, science and technology.
“We are still evaluating the performance, in the past years, of other heads of different ministries and the chiefs of support agencies under the regional government as basis for their retention, or replacement,” Mr. Macacua told reporters via text message.
Officials of the eight newly established Bangsamoro municipalities in Cotabato province in region 12 had said that they are grateful to Mr. Macacua for declining the courtesy resignation of the ethnic Maguindanaon Mr. Sinolinding, a physician-ophthalmologist trained in India, and Ms. Jajurie, a practicing lawyer who is a Tausug from Sulu.
“Their ministries already have functional public service networks in the Special Geographic Area in Cotabato province and in two nearby towns in Maguindanao del Sur, Pagalungan and Datu Montawal. We are glad that they will remain in their offices,” said Pagalungan Mayor Abdillah G. Mamasabulod.
The Special Geographic Area (SGA) covers 63 barangays in different towns in Cotabato province in region 12 whose residents voted in favor of the inclusion of their domains into the core territory of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) during a plebiscite in 2019.
Mayor Esmael S. Mama of Ligawasan, one of the eight towns in the SGA, said they are assured of the continuation of the joint eye care missions for marginalized villagers in their municipality.
“We are also grateful that our chief minister declined the resignation from office of our natural resources minister,” said Mr. Mama, referring to Mr. Brahim, an official of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Mr. Sema, who has been at the helm of the Ministry of Labor and Employment-BARMM for about three years now, is chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
The MILF and the MNLF, which have separate peace agreements with the national government, oversee the operations of a number of agencies under Mr. Macacua’s office. Both Fronts also have representatives in the 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament.
“We in Cotabato province are glad about the reinstatement of Minister Sema because there are so many MNLF members in the municipalities under my jurisdiction and in adjoining barangays composing the SGA that were carved out from municipalities under our province,” Cotabato Gov. Emmylou T. Mendoza said. — John Felix M. Unson
