COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 7 December) – Bangsamoro Transition Authority Floor Leader Atty. Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba is the new head of the Ministry of the Interior and Local Government (MILG) vice Minister Naguib Sinarimbo.
Sinarimbo submitted his courtesy resignation, along with 14 others ministers in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), in response to the directive of Bangsamoro Interim Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim for them to give up their positions so he can reorganize the regional government’s bureaucracy.
Ebrahim accepted the resignation of Sinarimbo, who vacated his post effective Wednesday’s office closing time.
Dumama-Alba’s appointment document, dated December 7, showed that she is designated as BARMM interior minister for one year.
Sinarimbo met with the MILG employees (MILG) Thursday morning to personally thank them for all their work and sacrifices over the years.
“I am confident that we have built a solid bureaucracy in the ministry with competent and dedicated public servants,” he said in a statement.
“May I express my profoundest gratitude to all of those who supported us during our stint as the Minister of the MILG,” he added.
“I stepped into the world of civilian life with a renewed sense of freedom,” Sinarimbo said.
Sinarimbo is BARMM’s first MILG chief and concurrent spokesperson of the interim Bangsamoro government until this development.
The BARMM replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao after Republic Act 11054 or the Organic Law for the BARMM, popularly called Bangsamoro Organic Law, was ratified during a referendum in January and February 2019.
The creation of the Bangsamoro region was anchored on the Comprehesive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, which the Philippine government and the erstwhile rebel group Moro Islamic Liberation Front signed in 2014 after 17 years of negotiations.
The MILF, where Sinarimbo had served as a member of the technical working group of its peace negotiating panel, has been leading the BARMM transition government, whose mandate is until June 2025 when the first elected members of the Parliament shall have taken their oath of office.
Mohd Asnin Pendatun, who also tendered his resignation as BARMM cabinet secretary, confirmed the resignations of the ministers and other senior officials on Thursday, December 7.
Pendatun said the move was in line with Ebrahim’s December 1 Memorandum Circular No. 189, which called for the courtesy resignations of the ministers and heads of offices “to give a free hand to the Chief Minister to reorganize his Cabinet and improve their service delivery.”
BARMM Senior Minister Abunawas “Von Al Haq” Maslamama confirmed that he was one of those who submitted resignation letters before the December 5 deadline.
“Regardless of the outcome, we will accept it,” Maslamama said.
Pendatun said the BARMM “is likely to see a new set of ministers and heads of offices next week.”
He noted that Ebrahim had also asked for submissions of courtesy resignations two years ago, but that directive had only applied to members of the region’s Cabinet. (Ferdinandh Cabrera / MindaNews)
