BARMM is PRRD’s greatest legacy for Muslims: Chief Minister Ebrahim

COTABATO CITY - Chief Minister Ahod “Kagi Murad” Ebrahim of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Tuesday urged all Bangsamoro not to forget the “greatest legacy” outgoing Pres. Duterte had given them.

Speaking during the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament's fourth regular session, Chief Minister Ebrahim reminded the Bangsamoro people that it was under Pres. Duterte’s administration when the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) was passed.

BOL paved way for the establishment of BARMM.

"As such, I invite everyone to join me in saying Maraming maraming salamat po, Pangulong Duterte," he said in his Report to the Bangsamoro as the region’s law making body of 80 members resume regular sessions Tuesday.

Chief Minister Ebrahim also cited some of the notable triumphs of the region for the past three years since the BTA took their oath of Moral Governance in 2019.

“The regional government has been working tirelessly in building and running a government we can all proudly call Bangsamoro," he said.

He reiterated the importance of everyone’s support and cooperation to make the transition period a success.

The Chief Minister has called on every Bangsamoro to continue supporting the regional government’s moral governance for at the end of the day the ordinary Bangsamoro will reap its successes.

He said the regional bureaucracy is facing many challenges but these are surmountable with everyone’s cooperation.

“Some of these challenges cannot be resolved by BARMM alone, it needs continuing support from the national government, the international community and local stakeholders,” he said.

“What is primordial is to ensure that with the challenges and imperfections, we continue to thrust forward and major and small wins for the region,” Chief Minister Ebrahim said.

Meanwhile, BTA Speaker Pangalian Balindong said the composition of the Parliament may change upon the assumption of presumptive Pres. Ferdinand BongBong Marcos Jr.

Under the law, the term of office of Members of Parliament shall end on June 30.

“It is the prerogative of the incoming President to name or not to name new members of Parliament,” Balindong told a news conference, adding that the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has already submitted its list of nominees as provided for by the BOL.

Of the 80 parliament members, 41 were MILF recommendees while 39 will come from various sectors recommended by the government panel to the chief executive.

According to Speaker Balindong, the Parliament is beefing up its efforts to enact the remaining priority codes enumerated in the BOL during the transition period.

To date, among the seven priority codes cited in the BOL, the following have already been enacted: the Civil Service Code, Education Code, and Administrative Code.

The Bangsamoro Local Governance Code, Indigenous Peoples Rights Act, Electoral Code, and Revenue Code are the remaining proposed codes that will be prioritized during the 4th regular session.

Speaker Balindong said during the third regular session of Parliament, that ended last March, the members of Parliament passed six bills and 92 resolutions.

The Education Code, Bangsamoro Dual Calendar Act, Oxygen Buffer Stock, 2020 and 2021 Special Development Funds, 2022 General Appropriations Act, and a bill to make GAA available until December 2022 were all signed into law in the third regular session.

He said the Parliament also filed a total of 120 bills and 286 resolutions.