COTABATO CITY(June 8) — Suspended as military chief by the very movement he helped build, Bangsamoro Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof “Sammy Gambar” Macacua responded not with defiance but with a call for unity, insisting that accountability and the rule of law must prevail over political differences.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Central Committee on Friday affirmed Macacua’s indefinite suspension as chief of staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), citing alleged defiance and insubordination.
MILF Chairman Ahod “Hadji Murad” Ebrahim confirmed the action through a statement and simultaneously announced that he would assume the post of BIAF chief of staff.
The decision marks a dramatic turn in the relationship between two of the most prominent figures in the Bangsamoro peace process.
For four decades, Macacua served as BIAF chief of staff, becoming one of the movement’s most recognizable military leaders. But political tensions emerged after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed him interim chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) in March 2025, replacing Ebrahim.
In a resolution released Thursday, the MILF Central Committee cited three grounds for the suspension.
The first was Macacua’s alleged failure to consult or inform the committee before accepting his appointment as interim chief minister.
The second involved his removal of several MILF officials from key BARMM Cabinet positions, including Mohagher Iqbal as minister of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), despite a party directive urging him to suspend the revamp pending mediation efforts.
The third was his decision to seek election as an independent candidate for the third district parliamentary seat in Maguindanao del Norte despite serving as secretary-general of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the MILF’s political arm.
Yet even as the disciplinary action underscored deepening divisions within the organization, Macacua signaled he would not engage in confrontation.
“For forty years, my life was defined by the struggle. I know what it means to follow orders, and I know the value of institutional discipline. That is why I look at the MILF Central Committee’s decision with respect,” he said in a statement posted on his social media page.
Macacua acknowledged that he had anticipated sanctions after removing Iqbal from the education ministry in May.
That decision came amid controversy surrounding a Commission on Audit report that flagged some P2.2 billion in past education-related disbursements within the BARMM government.
Without directly accusing any individual of wrongdoing, Macacua maintained that addressing the audit findings was a matter of legal responsibility rather than politics.
“No office or title can alter who I am or what we fought for in the hills,” he said. “Today, we live in the peace we built. And that peace demands a different kind of duty.”
He argued that public office requires adherence to legal and institutional standards regardless of personal or political relationships.
“In a government, the law applies to everyone equally,” he said. “It does not pause for political convenience, and it does not look away when difficult questions are asked.”
For Macacua, the controversy highlights a broader challenge facing the Bangsamoro transition—how revolutionary institutions adapt to democratic governance and public accountability.
“If we want our autonomous region to be respected, we must prove that our institutions are stronger than our personal relationships,” he said.
Despite losing one of the movement’s highest military positions, Macacua described the suspension as an opportunity to focus more fully on his responsibilities as BARMM chief minister during the final months of the transition government.
He also defended his decision to file an independent candidacy in the September 14 parliamentary elections, saying he had not received a Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance from the MILF-UBJP and wanted to demonstrate political impartiality during the transition period.
As political tensions continue to unfold ahead of the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections, Macacua appealed for restraint among supporters and stakeholders.
He urged Bangsamoro communities not to allow political disagreements to erode the gains achieved through decades of peace negotiations and institution-building.
“The people deserve a government that delivers services, respects the law, and protects regional stability,” he said.
Ending his message on a conciliatory note, Macacua reaffirmed his commitment to the Bangsamoro cause despite the setback, pledging to continue serving “quietly and faithfully” in accordance with the law and the trust placed in him by the Bangsamoro people.
For now, the suspension represents more than an internal MILF dispute. It reflects the growing pains of a region navigating the delicate transition from armed struggle to democratic governance, where questions of loyalty, accountability, and political legitimacy increasingly intersect.
