Good governance to reign in BARMM: BTA chief

Murad, recently appointed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte as the interim Chief Minister of the BARMM, vowed to eradicate the culture of corruption and sustain the gains of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). (PNA photo)

MANILA – Good governance will be delivered in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the interim administrator of the newly-established Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Murad Ebrahim Al Haj promised on Tuesday.

Murad, recently appointed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte as the interim Chief Minister of the BARMM, vowed to eradicate the culture of corruption and sustain the gains of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

“The trust and responsibility is now in our hands. We are accountable to it, to Allah, and our fellow Bangsamoro,” he said in a ceremonial handover event at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex inside the ARMM compound in Cotabato City.

Murad said the Bangsamoro people are now entering a new struggle, which is to instill the culture of good governance in the autonomous region.

“Our enemy during this struggle is not the soldiers. Our enemy is not the government. Our enemy is oppression, our enemy is exploitation, our enemies are those anti-people,” Murad said.

“We are now entering another level of Jihad. Our Jihad will be more intense and more challenging. Our Jihad, firstly, will be against our own self. Our enemy is graft and corruption. Our enemy is manipulation of the government. Our enemy is nepotism. Our enemy is all those ills of the government,” he added.

Murad cited the interim government’s main agenda that would ensure the delivery of services to the Moro and non-Moro people residing in the BARMM.

“Our government shall take responsibility for the education of our children.

Our government shall take responsibility for the health of our constituents. Our government shall take responsibility for the economic development of our region. Our government shall take responsibility for the infrastructure development of our areas. I shall be responsible for leading a morally upright bureaucracy,” he said.

Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito G. Galvez Jr. said he is confident that the BTA members can fulfill their mandate since they are people with “sincerity, dedication, and commitment in pushing for the realization of the Bangsamoro aspirations”.

Galvez urged the BTA to “work for the common good of the Bangsamoro people”.

“The bottom line here is to bring good governance through clean governmental transaction. This will show our sincerity to provide the needed services that the people in the Bangsamoro truly deserve,” Galvez said in a speech.

Galvez emphasized the significance of unity in diversity, urging the new leadership to work together as a team.

“Just like a rainbow, it is composed of different hues. Each color is uniquely beautiful and has a special purpose. It is reflective of the various tribes and beliefs that co-exist in the Bangsamoro homeland. But we can only maximize its beauty and power if we work harmoniously and collectively,” he said.

Immediately after the ceremonial handover, the new Bangsamoro government hit the ground running as Murad presided a Cabinet meeting to set the direction and focus of the new administration.

Another meeting was set on Wednesday to identify the parliament’s priorities for the next 100 days, which include the establishment of the key legislative structures such as Electoral, Local Government, Education, Administrative, Revenue, and Civil Service Codes.

Prior to Tuesday’s event, Murad met with Galvez and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) chair Yusop Jikiri to discuss issues that need to be resolved to ensure a seamless transition. Among them is the status of ARMM employees.

“We agreed that there will be no retrenchment. All employees, except those who are co-terminus, will be retained until the end of the year,” Galvez said.

Galvez echoed Duterte’s guidance to put a premium on the welfare of the Bangsamoro and every Filipino.

ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman said he is elated at bowing down from the office since he is leaving a more developed ARMM.

“Iiwan natin ang rehiyon nang mas malakas, mas maunlad (We will be leaving the region stronger, more developed),” he said emotionally.

ARMM’s economic growth has improved in recent years.

In 2017, its gross regional domestic product had its peak in history with 12.1 percent, making it the fastest in the country. Its employment rate also surged at 97.4 percent last year.

The BARMM is composed of the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. The autonomous region’s territory has expanded to include the city of Cotabato and 63 villages in North Cotabato province following the plebiscites in these areas.

The establishment of the BARMM is the result of the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law — the legal document operationalizing the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, including all the previous peace agreements that the government has entered into with the Moro fronts.

Duterte earlier described the new BARMM as a realization of everyone’s dream to end the armed struggle in Mindanao.