MACACUA AS MAGNORTE OIC GOV APPRECIATED

By John Felix Unson

WHILE some are against it, many favor it.

Officials were elated with Malacañang’s designation of the senior minister of the Bangsamoro government, Abdulrauf Macacua, as OIC governor of newly-created Maguindanao del Norte.

The governor of Maguindanao del Sur, however, is protesting the appointment of Macacua as OIC governor Maguindanao del Norte. Gov. Bai Mariam Mangudadatu was also appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. as OIC governor of Maguindanao del Sur.

President Marcos Jr. personally administered in Malacañang on April 5 the oath of office of Macacua.

Macacua was senior minister in the regional government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, under Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, prior to his appoint in Maguindanao del Sur.

“We welcome the appointment by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. of Abdulrauf Macacua as governor of

critics:

By Nash B.

THE officer-in-charge governor of Maguindanao del Norte has appealed to parties adverse to his presidential appointment to just follow lawyer Salvador Panelo’s advice to “go to the Supreme Court,” instead of dragging Malacanang officials into malicious insinuations.

Asked by reporters on the legal aspect of his appointment by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Abdulraof Macacua, the OIC governor of Maguindanao del Norte, said: “We agree with lawyer Sal Panelo that the right forum and the final arbiter will be the Supreme Court.”

Macacua, who carries the nom de guerre “Sammy Gambar,” said he didn’t care much if officials of Maguindanao del Sur would not recognize him as governor of Maguindanao del Norte, for as long as the residents and the elected officials accept him and his Presidential appointment as OIC governor.

He said he thanked the Chief Executive for his pre-Easter appointment (April 3). Macacua added that Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim was happy to receive the news, albeit on a sad note also that he would have to leave his post as senior minister of the Bansamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Residents, MILF jubilant Officials and thousands of residents were visibly jubilant on Monday as they met Macacua and his family back in his home village in Gambar, Mother Kabuntalan, Maguindanao del Norte—from where he got his nom de guerre in the 1970’s.

Macacua remains the chief of staff of the now transformed forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and is likely to retain a previous Presidential appointment— as member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament.

He said the huge assembly in Gambar of residents of Maguindanao Norte, as well as officials and MILF members undergoing the process of normalization, manifested a consensus of acceptance of his appointment, through the organization’s process of consultative leadership.

SC, final arbiter

But he said: “If the Supreme Court says that I am not supposed to be here, I will voluntarily step down, No problem. But it’s not good to malign; it’s not good to belittle the President,” Macacua said.

“Let us not belittle the President. Because as the head of state, he is currently attending to bigger problems including crucial matters of foreign relations involving China and the U.S., Macacua said, apparently referring to current issues surrounding the EDCA or Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement.

Macacua said if he had to reach out on bended knees for unity, he will do that without hesitation to politicians, including members of the Provincial Board, voted to office in the undivided Maguindanao in May 2022.

Peace process, not ‘payback’

He also rejected suggestions that his appointment was a “payback to the Moro Muslims” for records of martial law