Macacua invokes Civil Service Code provision reserving 30% of entry-level positions for MILF and MNLF veterans, raising questions about fair access and implementation
COTABATO CITY (November 14) — Former Moro combatants are being given priority for the lowest-paid positions in the Bangsamoro regional government under a hiring directive from Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, putting economic reintegration at the center of the new administration’s governance agenda.
Macacua has instructed ministries and agencies of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to prioritize veterans of the Moro revolution from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) when filling entry-level government positions.
Bangsamoro Labor and Employment Minister Kitem Kadatuan Jr. said the directive was issued during a recent meeting of senior regional officials following the installation of the new BARMM government on Oct. 30.
The order invokes Article 305 of the Bangsamoro Civil Service Code, which allocates 30 percent of entry-level plantilla positions with Salary Grade 9 and below to mujahideen and mujahidat, referring to male and female fighters of the Moro liberation fronts.
The provision also allows qualified former combatants to be appointed temporarily to positions within these salary grades, even when other applicants possess civil service eligibility.
The salary range for Salary Grades 1 to 9 is P14,061 to P23,226 monthly, before taxes and other deductions.
Kadatuan described the preference as recognition of former combatants who sacrificed their lives and limbs in the struggle for the Bangsamoro cause. Many, he said, did not finish college but could qualify for entry-level government work.
The policy offers a route for former fighters to move from armed struggle into civilian employment, giving them an opportunity to support their families while contributing to the region’s public institutions.
But its implementation will also test how the regional government balances the recognition of former combatants with the employment aspirations of other Bangsamoro residents competing for limited public-sector jobs.
The 30-percent allocation is a specific provision of the regional civil service law, making transparency in identifying eligible beneficiaries, assessing qualifications and filling available positions essential to public confidence.
Macacua himself previously headed the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces, the MILF’s armed wing, until the front’s central committee removed him in September over alleged insubordination.
Meanwhile, the new administration has clarified that job order workers hired during the Bangsamoro transition period may complete their existing contracts but are not automatically assured of rehiring.
Ministry officials will review their cases based on staffing requirements and the needs of their respective offices.
This distinction underscores another employment challenge facing the new government: accommodating former combatants under the statutory hiring preference while addressing the job security concerns of workers who helped keep regional offices operating during the transition.
For BARMM, the challenge goes beyond providing government positions to former fighters. It is whether employment can become a credible instrument of reintegration without undermining fairness, public accountability and confidence in the regional civil service.
