Sulu now part of Zamboanga Peninsula

By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos, Philippine News Agency

Sulu Provincial Capitol, Asturias, Jolo, Sulu (Photo by Patrickroque01/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has issued Executive Order (EO) 91, declaring Sulu as part of the Zamboanga Peninsula, to ensure the continuity of government operations and uninterrupted delivery of critical public services in the country.

Marcos signed EO 91 on July 30, in view of the Supreme Court’s ruling excluding Sulu from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

During the transition period covering fiscal year 2025, Sulu’s provincial government, along with its component local government units (LGUs) and relevant national government agencies (NGAs), is directed to “make all reasonable efforts to facilitate a phased and seamless transition.”

The Bangsamoro government, Sulu’s provincial government, and its component LGUs may enter into appropriate institutional arrangements or mechanisms aimed at sustaining the implementation and financing of programs, activities, and projects (PAPs) to ensure continued and uninterrupted services.

EO 91 orders all relevant NGAs to include Sulu under Zamboanga Peninsula for regional administration, development planning, investment programming and budgeting, and other relevant purposes under applicable laws, rules, and regulations.

Under EO 91, a technical working group (TWG) is created to oversee and monitor the implementation of the SC decision, prepare and issue a transition plan, and resolve issues and concerns arising from the implementation of the high court’s ruling.

The TWG will be chaired by the Budget Secretary, co-chaired by the Minister of Ministry of the Interior and Local Government and vice chaired by Local Government Secretary.

Members include the Sulu governor and representatives of the NGAs and the Bangsamoro government.

The TWG is instructed to submit to the Office of the President, through the Office of the Executive Secretary, an annual report on the implementation of the order.

Personnel holding permanent posts who may be affected by the transition have the option to apply for transfer to positions in agencies, either under the BARMM government, the executive branch, or LGUs with an equivalent rank, level, or salary.

Personnel who would opt to retire or separate from the service are entitled to separation incentives and other benefits.

Affected personnel with permanent appointments who retired or separated from the service are prohibited from reemployment in any agency or instrumentality of the executive branch for five years.

The employment ban does not cover other branches of the government or local governments.

The funding requirements for PAPs transferred to the NGAs during the first year of implementing EO 91 will be sourced from available appropriations of concerned agencies.

All PAPs funded for Sulu under the 2024 General Appropriations Act will continue to be implemented up to the validity of the appropriations, which remain available until Dec. 31, 2025 or until fully released.

EO 91, which was made public on Saturday, takes effect immediately upon publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper of general circulation.