COTABATO CITY (February 13) — Supporters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have asked the Supreme Court to nullify the appointment of seven members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), including interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua, arguing that the move violates the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) provision requiring an “MILF-led” transition government.
Petitioners Saiden Abdulwahab and Zacaria Tuan, represented by lawyer Badrodin Mangindra, filed a 57-page petition for certiorari and mandamus before the high court on Monday. They were joined by dozens of supporters, many carrying placards, outside the tribunal.
Named respondents in the petition are Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, BTA Speaker Mohammad Yacob, and Macacua in his capacity as interim chief executive of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Alleged Violation of the BOL
Mangindra said the petition hinges on an alleged violation of Republic Act 11054, or the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which mandates that the MILF lead the BARMM transition until the election of 80 members of the regular Bangsamoro Parliament.
In earlier appointment issuances, the Office of the President had named all 41 nominees submitted by the MILF to the 80-member BTA, in line with the law. These included MILF Chairman Ahod Ebrahim, who had been appointed interim chief minister three times.
However, in March 2025, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed only 35 of the 41 MILF nominees, replacing Ebrahim with Macacua and appointing five individuals who were not among those endorsed by the MILF Central Committee, according to the petitioners.
“The President, in appointing members of the BTA in lieu of those endorsed by the MILF Central Committee, [contravened] the constitutionally guaranteed autonomy of BARMM governance,” the petition read.
The petitioners argued that by doing so, the appointing authority effectively redefined who represents the MILF, disregarding the Central Committee’s recognized role in designating leadership for the transition and allegedly eroding the autonomy guaranteed under the BOL.
They are asking the Supreme Court to order the recall of the questioned appointments and direct the President to name BTA members based on the official MILF nominees.
Mangindra further claimed that under the current BTA composition, MILF-allied members have become a minority and that proposed legislations aligned with the group’s agenda have allegedly been sidelined in recent months.
Counter-Claims from Supporters
Macacua and Yacob have yet to issue official statements on the petition. However, their supporters clarified Tuesday that both officials are members of the MILF and were included among the group’s original 41 nominees.
Macacua serves as chief of staff of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces and secretary-general of its political arm, the United Bangsamoro Justice Party. Yacob is a key member of the MILF Central Committee and has consistently been appointed as a BTA member. His election as Speaker, supporters said, was a decision made by his fellow BTA members.
While Macacua’s appointment as interim chief minister is widely seen as a presidential prerogative, observers say the leadership change has become an irritant within the MILF, potentially creating a “crack” in the organization’s unity during the transition period.
Macacua’s Response
In an earlier interview, Macacua denied allegations that he had been influenced by national officials to undermine unity within the MILF in managing BARMM operations.
“I will step down the moment I sense any sign of dictation for me to rock the [MILF] boat. We have spent more than half of our life fighting for a sacred cause — the welfare of the Bangsamoro people,” he said in the vernacular.
Last September, he also told a public forum in Cotabato City that he had an understanding with MILF Chairman Ebrahim and Vice Chairman Mohagher Iqbal that he would vacate the post once his appointment is recalled.
However, he stressed that resignation is not an option he would voluntarily take.
“Resigning or surrendering has never been part of my vocabulary as a revolutionary man,” he said.
What’s at Stake
The case now places the Supreme Court at the center of a sensitive legal and political question: whether the President’s power to appoint members of the BTA may override or reinterpret the MILF’s role in leading the transition under the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
The ruling could shape not only the current power dynamics within the BARMM but also the legal boundaries of autonomy and executive authority during the region’s transition to a fully elected parliamentary government.
