COTABATO CITY, Philippines โ Senior Minister Mohammad Yacob has been elected as the new Speaker of the 80-member Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament, following a session held on Tuesday, October 21.
Yacobโs election comes after the passing of Speaker Ali Pangalian Balindong, 85, who died on October 2 due to illness. Balindong, a respected elder statesman, was among the key Moro leaders instrumental in the peace process that led to the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Speaker Yacob’s Role
A member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Yacob played a role in the movementโs transition from armed struggle to governance under the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro โ the landmark peace accord that paved the way for BARMMโs establishment in 2019, replacing the 27-year-old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
Yacob holds a degree in Shariโah Law from the International Islamic University in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. He also earned a masterโs degree in public administration and a doctorate in philosophy from Cotabato City State University.
Several BARMM officials and lawmakers immediately expressed their support for Yacobโs leadership, including Health Minister and ophthalmologist Dr. Kadil โJojoโ Sinolinding Jr. and Labor Minister Muslimin Sema, chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
MPs Support
Other MNLF and MILF-aligned parliament members โ among them Basilan representative Hatimil Hassan, Maguindanao lawmakers Baintan Adil-Ampatuan, and Sittie Fahanie Uy-Oyod โ also assured their backing for Yacobโs speakership, describing his appointment as a step toward stronger unity and stability in the Bangsamoro government.
Sinolinding, Adil-Ampatuan, and Uy-Oyod have long been known advocates of the peace process, supporting government and Moro revolutionary group efforts to resolve the decades-long Moro struggle through political, socio-economic, and diplomatic means.
Yacobโs election as speaker is seen as a crucial development in sustaining the gains of peace and governance in the Bangsamoro region โ a continuing test of the autonomyโs promise to bring lasting peace, inclusivity, and development in Muslim Mindanao.
โ dailysunchronicle.com
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