MANILA – A group asked the Supreme Court (SC) to declare as unconstitutional the current appointments to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), which they said resulted in the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) losing its majority lead.

In a 57-page petition, Saiden Abdulwahab and Zacaria Tuan urged the High Court to enjoin President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to appoint BTA members constituting the MILF’s leadership.

In a report, Lawyer Badrodin Mangindra, counsel for the petitioners, said Article XVI, Section 2 of the Bangsamoro Organic Law provides that the MILF shall lead the BTA without prejudice to the participation of the Moro National Liberation Front.

Mangindra explained that the BTA parliament has 80 members across the region, but only 34 MILF members were appointed.

“Seven of them — ‘yung 41 sana to constitute the lead in the BTA were not appointed by the president. In fact, they were being replaced,” Mangindra said.

He added that the MILF-endorsed members should number at least 41 for their legislative measures to prevail.

“Ngayon, karamihan sa kanilang mga measures ay hindi nananalo. Talo sila sa districting, talo sila sa budgeting,” Mangindra said.
(Now, most of their measures are losing. They lost with the districts, the budget.)

Mangindra also said the appointments have triggered an internal dispute within the MILF.

“‘Yung mga kasama nila sa MILF parang may konting problema. So nagkaroon ng internal ngayon na parang dispute sa organization because of these appointment [officials],” he said.
(Their companions in the MILF seem to have a bit of a problem. So there is now an internal dispute in the organization because of these appointments.)

The petition named as respondents the Office of the President, represented by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto; the BTA, represented by interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua; and BTA Speaker Mohammad Yacob.

In March, Malacañang announced the list of newly appointed BTA members, and the Palace previously called on the MILF to give the new Bangsamoro leadership a chance.