Philippines' Bangsamoro elects chief minister, ending over 7 years of interim rule

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) - Lawmakers in the southern Philippines' Bangsamoro autonomous region elected Abdulraof "Sammy Gambar" A. Macacua as chief minister Friday, marking the transition from more than seven years of interim administration to an elected government, regional authorities said.

Macacua secured 51 votes against 27 for Murad Ebrahim during the first plenary session of the 80-member Bangsamoro Parliament in Cotabato City, the regional capital, according to an official statement.

One lawmaker was absent, while another abstained.

The assembly also elected lawyer Amer Zaakaria "Mikee" A. Rakim as speaker with 51 votes.

Both officials were sworn into office after the vote.

Earlier Friday, 79 of the 80 lawmakers took their oaths following the region's first parliamentary elections on Sept. 14.

The vote marked a milestone in a decades-long peace process that led to the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in 2019.

The region had been governed by an interim administration initially led by Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Macacua, a former chief of staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, succeeded Ebrahim in March 2025 after being appointed chief minister by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The elections followed the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, which paved the way for the creation of the Muslim-majority autonomous region and the transition from armed conflict to parliamentary governance.

The new parliament comprises 40 regional party representatives, 32 district representatives and eight sectoral representatives.

Macacua's Bangsamoro Federalist Party secured 16 seats in the elections, followed by Ebrahim's United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP) with 15.

Riyaz Khaliq Khaliq