Philippines’ autonomous Muslim-majority region elects chief minister

The Philippines’ autonomous Muslim-majority region of BARMM marked a historic milestone on Friday with the election of its first chief minister, following a decades-long struggle for self-determination.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao convened its first parliament session in Cotabato City on Friday after the region held inaugural polls on 14 September with a voter turnout of over 84%, Arab News reports.

The 80-member parliament, which will serve a five-year term, chose its own head of government during Friday’s session and elected Abdulraof Macacua as Bangsamoro chief minister. He secured 51 votes against 27 for former chief minister Murad Ebrahim, with one abstention and one absence. 

“Today marks another step in our long journey toward genuine self-governance,” Macacua said in his inaugural address as chief minister.

“Building a stronger Bangsamoro requires more than shared aspirations; it requires trust, understanding, and a willingness to move forward together. As we begin this new chapter, I recognize that rebuilding trust takes time, bridging differences requires dialogue, and resolving disagreements calls for maturity and mutual respect.”

He expressed commitment in fostering an environment that listens to every voice and concern, saying that “differences become opportunities for understanding rather than division.”

Macacua, 69, has been a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority. Also known as Sammy Gambar, he was a senior leader with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and had served as chief of staff of MILF’s armed wing.

He was appointed as interim chief minister by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr in March 2025, replacing Ebrahim, who had previously served in the role since 2019.

Bangsamoro was at the heart of a decades-long separatist struggle until 2014, when the Philippine government struck a permanent ceasefire agreement with the MILF, paving the way for peace and autonomy in the region home to the biggest Muslim population in the predominantly Catholic country.

The BARMM was formed in 2019 as part of the region’s transition to autonomy, a process that culminated with Macacua’s formal election.

“Macacua’s election is an important step because the chief minister now derives his mandate from an elected Bangsamoro parliament. That gives the region’s institutions a stronger democratic foundation,” Rikard Jalkebro, an expert on Muslim Mindanao and associate professor at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy in Abu Dhabi, told Arab News.

While Macacua’s background in the MILF gives him “considerable experience” of both the movement and the peace process, it remains a question “whether he can use that experience to maintain cooperation with the MILF leadership while governing through a broader parliamentary coalition.”

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Any progress in the region will “require cooperation between Manila, the regional administration and the MILF, despite their political differences,” Jalkebro added.

“The immediate priorities should be to protect cooperation around the peace agreement, agree practical steps on outstanding normalization commitments, and improve the delivery of basic services,” he said.

“For people across the region, the test will be whether the elected government brings greater security, fairer access to services and more reliable livelihoods. The peace process needs to become more tangible in everyday life.”