Marcos names Maguindanao del Norte governor’s son to Bangsamoro parliament

DAVAO, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed one of the children of Maguindanao del Norte Governor Abdulraof Macacua to the 80-person Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), an interim body currently running the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Raby Angkal, secretary-general of the Bangsamoro Parliament, confirmed on Monday, February 12, that 33-year-old Jamel Macacua was appointed by Marcos on January 26, to fill up the vacancy in the BTA caused by the appointment of his father as officer-in-charge/governor of Maguindanao del Norte.

Angkal said BARMM Speaker Pangalian Balindong has issued a memorandum, acknowledging the younger Macacua’s appointment by Marcos.

On its Facebook page, Balindong’s office welcomed the newly appointed parliament member who, before his appointment, worked at one of BARMM’s ministries.

The specific committees that Jamel will be part of have yet to be disclosed. But he has already started his work as a BTA member at the Bangsamoro government compound in Cotabato City, according to Angkal in a recent phone interview.

His father Abdulraof, also known as Sammy Gambar and Sammy Al-Mansoor – noms de guerre he used as a fighter of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) – worked as senior minister while serving in the parliament of the BARMM before he accepted his appointment as OIC-governor in April 2023. – Rappler.com