MANILA, Philippines – Former Office on Muslim Affairs (OMA) executive director Ali Sangki was named a member of the Bangsamoro interim government, bringing its composition to 79 members out of the 80 required by the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

Sangki, whose name appeared in a list of new presidential appointees sent by Malacañang to media on Monday, January 20, completes the government’s 39 nominees to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority. (READ: Who’s who in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority)

Appointment papers showed Sangki took his oath before President Rodrigo Duterte last January 8, while his appointment papers were released on January 14.

Prior to joining the BTA, Sangki held several positions in government. He served as undersecretary and executive director of the now-defunct OMA, predecessor of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, from 2007 to 2010.

Sangki also served as chief executive officer of the Al-Amanah Investment Islamic Bank of the Philippines from 2005 to 2007. From 1992 to 2002, he was a provincial board member for the 2nd District of Maguindanao and was department manager for the Southern Philippines Development Authority from 1975 to 1992.

Sangki is also the father of current Maguindanao Governor Mariam Mangudadatu.

One last seat: Out of the total 80 target BTA members, 41 were nominated by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and named by Duterte, while the government nominated the remaining 39. When the names of the first batch of BTA members were released in March 2019, the interim government was at 76, with Duterte unable to name 4 members at the time.

Since that time, two BTA members nominated by the MILF have died – MILF leader Ghazali Jaafar and lawyer Abdul Dataya. Jaafar’s son, Mudjib Abu, took over his father’s seat in May 2019.

BTA Interim Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim earlier told Rappler the MILF had nominated Abdullah Hashim, Dataya’s nephew and the eldest son of MILF founder Hashim Salamat, to take the last seat in the interim government.

Hashim Salamat was the MILF’s founding chairman and “spiritual head.” – Rappler.com