Cotabato City elected village, SK officials take oath before BARMM's CM Ebrahim

COTABATO CITY - The newly-elected Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials in Cotabato City took the "Oath of Moral Governance" and "Oath of Office" at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex, Bangsamoro Government Center Monday, November 6, 2023.

The oath was administered by Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Ahod B. Ebrahim; it is worth noting that this was the first Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election (BSKE) held under the new Bangsamoro Regional Government.

“Moral Governance” has become the battle cry of the BARMM in carrying the responsibility of governing and serving the Bangsamoro, and towards the change that the Bangsamoro Government aspired for its people and territory. He told the village officials to promote the BARMM moral governance campaign.

“Moral governance means that the acts of the Bangsamoro Government must be legal and legitimate; it is policy-making rational and deliberative; it is responsible to its people and ensures checks, balances, and accountability to them,” Ebrahim explained. “In other words, a government composed of public servants- in its real sense. Servants who are prepared to sacrifice their well-being for the well-being of the people whom they serve,” Ebrahim added.

Due to the sacrifices made to achieve the current state of Bangsamoro governance, Ebrahim reminded the winning Barangay Chairpersons, Sangguniang Barangay Members, Sangguniang Kabataan Chairpersons, and members of their duties to perform sincere services to the Bangsamoro people.

"Alam ninyo na pinaghirapan natin itong Bangsamoro, pinaghirapan ng mga Bangsamoro itong Bangsamoro Government." "Marami tayong isinakripisyong buhay, marami tayong isinakripisyong mga mahal sa atin para lang ma-attain itong Bangsamoro Government, at ngayon, Alhamdulillah na-achieve natin itong Bangsamoro Government," said the Chief Minister.

Minister of the Interior and Local Government Atty Naguib G. Sinarimbo, for his part, clarified that newly-elected officials can take up their positions after being "duly elected and qualified."

"The task of consolidating all elected officials para po mag-take ng oath kay Chief Minister is prompted by the ruling of the Supreme Court that declared unconstitutional the postponement of Barangay elections in the country," Sinarimbo said.

As stated by the Supreme Court, all incumbent Barangay Officials and SK Officials are serving in a holdover capacity, and as a result, "yung mga mae-elect at mag-qualify ay maaari ng mag discharge ng functions nila after they would've been duly elected and qualified," he added.

Sinarimbo emphasized that the two requirements for taking office under the Supreme Court ruling are 'election and qualification,' with proof of election being the Certificate of Proclamation signed by the Board of Canvassers and proof of qualification being the taking of the Oath of Office.

He also stated that newly elected Barangay Officials and SK Members will go through Newly Elected Officials training, which will be conducted by the MILG's respective provincial and city offices, respectively; SK members will also go through mandatory SK training, which will be conducted by the Bangsamoro Youth Commission.

MILG also issued a directive to activate Transition Teams to ensure a smooth transition between outgoing and incoming barangay officials, with a focus on the physical and fiscal accountability of outgoing barangay and SK officials in the BARMM.