Bangsamoro Transition Authority 2022 to 2025: MILF and MNLF reunited; Misuari’s son and daughter among new MPs
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 12 August) – Five children of Moro revolutionary leaders Nur Misuari, Salamat Hashim, Muslimin Sema and Yusoph Jikiri have been appointed to the 80-member Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) that will be led by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) but now has the two major factions of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) as members.
President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. swore into office on Friday afternoon the new composition of the BTA. In the 2019 to 2022 BTA under the Duterte administration, only the MNLF Sema-Jikiri faction recommended nominees. Misuari did not recommend anyone from his organization.
The new BTA will have as Members of Parliament (MPs) Abdulkarim Tan Misuari and Nurredha Ibrahim Misuari, children of MNLF founding chair Misuari. The sons of Hashim, Sema and Jikiri are incumbent MPs while Misuari’s children are new appointees.
Abdullah Biston Hashim is son of Salamat Hashim, MILF founding chair; Omar Yasser Crisostomo is son of Muslimin Sema and Albakil Dasani Jikiri is son of the late Yusoph Jikiri. The Sema and Jikiri patriarchs led the MNLF faction that set up the MNLF Executive Council of 15 in 2001.
Abdulkarim is Misuari’s son with first wife, the late Desdemona Tan, while Nurhedda is his daughter with wife Tarhata Ibrahim.
It is not clear who or what convinced Misuari to send nominations this time, under the Marcos administration. Misuari endorsed Marcos’ candidacy for President.
MindaNews sources said that out of 39 government nominees, 15 were recommended by the MNLF – eight by the MNLF Sema-Jikiri and seven by MNLF Misuari. The seven members of the Minority Bloc were all reappointed. MindaNews also noted that of the 80 nominees, at least half are incumbent MPs.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, forwarded on August 11 a memorandum for the President through his Executive Secretary and Special Assistant to the President, requesting approval of the 80 nominees to the BTA, with MILF chair and incumbent interim Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Balawag Ebrahim recommended for appointment as interim Chief Minister.
The BTA, according to the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the peace agreement signed by the government and MILF, and its enabling law, RA 11054, is to be led by the MILF which nominated 41 while government nominated 39.
A number of BTA nominees declined accepting congratulatory messages, explaining they will do so only after they have been sworn into office, to avoid embarrassment like what happened on February 22, 2019 when last minute changes were made and names were dropped from the supposed “final” list of BTA appointees and changed with new ones after intense lobbying in Malacanang by the replacements’ backers.
Some of those who were asked to fly to Manila for the oath-taking in 2019 never made it to Malacanang as they were replaced. At the inauguration hall itself, the replacements sat on chairs intended for those they replaced in the supposed “final” list.
MindaNews sources who are in Malacanang’s Heroes’ Hall, venue of Friday’s oath-taking, said Misuari’s children and the children of Hashim, Sema and Jikiri are all present.
Mindanawons awaited the oath-taking on state-owned PTV4 and Radio TV Malacanang but the ceremony was not livestreamed. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)
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