Manila’s Hidden Hand in Bangsamoro Politics

Picture: East Asia Forum

In an article by East Asia Forum, Cheng Xu asserts that the Marcos administration continues to have political influence on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) despite rhetoric on self-determination.

The upcoming parliamentary elections are intended to represent the culmination of the landmark 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the government of the Philippines. Under this accord, the MILF was entrusted to lead the transitional government towards regional self-governance, signalling a hopeful move from intractable conflict to political stability.

The establishment of BARMM explicitly aimed to address governance deficits and cycles of violence that plagued the previous Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Unlike ARMM, which was weakened by Manila’s centralised control, BARMM promised significant decentralisation and local accountability. Yet the Philippine government’s actions suggest that Manila maintains ultimate control, undermining the autonomy promised by the peace agreement.

In a surprising unilateral move, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr reshuffled the members of the BTA, disregarding the established norm of accepting MILF’s recommendations. Most notably, the Marcos administration appointed Abdulraof Macacua, head of the MILF’s military wing, as interim chief minister. This effectively sidelined incumbent chief minister Ahod Balawag ‘Al Haj Murad’ Ebrahim, who had led the MILF since the death of its founder Salamat Hashim, guided the organisation through peace negotiations and oversaw six years of transitional governance.