This is the Office of the Chief Minister (OCM) building inside the Bangsamoro Government Center (BGC) in Cotabato City. (Marhom Ibrahim/BIO)
COTABATO CITY—Bangsamoro Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim welcomed Presidential Directive No. PBBM-2024-1244, issued on Nov. 18, to ensure continued service delivery in Sulu, despite the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision severing the province from the autonomous region.
On Sept. 9, the SC ruled that Sulu province is not part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), as a result of the 2019 plebiscite where 54 percent of Sulu voters cast negative votes, effectively opting out of inclusion in the region.
CM Ebrahim emphasized the interim government’s unwavering commitment to serving the constituents of Sulu amidst the SC ruling.
“We remain committed to protecting the rights and welfare of the people of Sulu and ensuring that services and programs reach them without disruption,” said Ebrahim.
“In anticipation of this Directive, the Bangsamoro Government has included programs, activities, and projects (PAPs) for Sulu in the Bangsamoro Expenditure Program (BEP) 2025,” he added.
Ebrahim expressed his gratitude to the Office of the President, noting that the urgent concerns regarding Sulu’s exclusion were being addressed while awaiting the high court’s decision on the Bangsamoro Government’s twin motions.
The BARMM’s Bangsamoro Attorney General’s Office (BAGO) filed a motion on Oct. 1 for leave to intervene and admit the attached motion for partial reconsideration.
The motion seeks to include BARMM as a party to the case concerning the severance of Sulu from the region and to re-include the province in the Bangsamoro region. [READ RELATED STORY: Bangsamoro Gov’t files twin motions before SC to re-include Sulu province to BARMM]
Ebrahim reaffirmed that the regional government would uphold its collaboration with the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and other stakeholders to implement the Directive without inconveniencing a ‘smooth’ transition.
DBM Secretary and Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) Co-Chairperson Amenah Pangandaman stressed in a Nov. 21 press release the impact of the Directive in sustaining the gains of the peace process, especially in the BARMM’s self-governance, peace, and economic development.
The Chief Minister urged all sectors to unite and cooperate in safeguarding peace and development in the Bangsamoro region. (Johamin Inok/BIO)
