COTABATO CITY (MindaNews / 21 July 2026) – Traffic was redirected, face to face classes in the entire city and work in the Bangsamoro Government Center (BGC) were suspended, security protocols were in place, food prepared, the red carpet rolled out, everything was set, everyone was ready for the arrival of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex for what was supposed to be a “National and BARMM Governments Convergence Program” scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Monday.
But Marcos was a no-show.
And no explanation has been given as to the reason why the President’s scheduled Monday visit was called off near midnight of Sunday.
Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua told MindaNews on Monday: “I don’t know the exact reasons. The President himself called that it was the PSG (Presidential Security Group) who recommended for postponement.”
But he said the President will be here on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Macacua told MindaNews that the Convergence Program will be held on Wednesday but the venue has been changed from the SKCC in the Bangsamoro Government Center, to the 6th Infantry Division in Camp Siongco in Awang, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, which is adjacent to the Cotabato Airport.
The convergence program’s theme is “Mas Matatag na Bangsamoro tungo sa Bagong Pilipinas,” which is a combination of the slogan of interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua’s administration – Mas Matatag na Bangsamoro – and the Marcos administration’s Bagong Pilipinas (A Stronger Bangsamoro for the New Philippines).
Half day, whole day, half day
Officials attending the program on Monday morning, among them the five provincial governors of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) were informed past 11 p.m. on Sunday, July 19, that the event won’t push through on Monday.
A public announcement was made at 12:13 a.m. on Monday, July 20, by the Bangsamoro Government social media page that the Convergence Program “has been postponed to a later date.” No reason was cited. No date was mentioned.
In the same announcement, it said the day-long suspension of work in the Bangsamoro Government Center (BGC) has been lifted for half a day and work will resume at 1 p.m.
On July 16, Macacua issued Memorandum Circular 0108, suspending work within the BGC from 8 a.m. to 12 noon on July 20 “to facilitate security, protocol, and logistical preparations for the event and the attendance of high-ranking officials from the National Government and the Bangsamoro Government.”
At 6:28 p.m. on July 19, another MC was issued, 0112, extending the suspension of work “to cover the entire day” but six hours later, at 12:13 a.m. on July 20, the announcement that Monday’s event would not push through also included a notice that it’s back to half-day suspension and work will resume at 1 p.m.
At 10:25 a.m. on Tuesday, July 21, the Bangsamoro Government page announced that the Convergence Program “is finally happening tomorrow.”
But it noted that the ceremonial program will be held at the 6ID while the service booths will still be at the Bangsamoro Government Center.
Marcos will grace the ceremonial program at the Army camp.
Major General Jose Vladimir Cagara, commander of the 6th Infantry Division said they received no information indicating any security threat linked to the cancellation of the President’s supposed Monday visit.
Convergence
According to a report of the Bangsamoro Information Office (BIO), the convergence program is a “one-stop government service initiative that will gather Bangsamoro ministries, offices and agencies (BMOAS), and national government agencies “to roll out essential services accessible to the public.”
The report said the program will feature “ceremonial turnover of assistance, housing units, infrastructure projects, facilities, and equipment to selected beneficiaries including local government units, former combatants, farmers and fisherfolk, Indigenous Peoples, and other priority sectors.”
It said, service booths will also be set up to provide assistance for overseas Bangsamoro workers (OBWs), job fair, business name registration, legal consultations, halal promotion, and other frontline government services.
The report also said participating BMOAs will distribute various forms of assistance under their respective programs, including educational and medical assistance, livelihood assistance, and awarding of land titles to qualified Bangsamoro landowners, among others.
“Matagal na pong programa ng BARMM ito.Nagkataon lang na nagkasabay na meron din ipamigay ang national na tulong sa mga LGUs” It’s just a coincidence that the national government is also giving something to the LGUs), Macacua said in a text message on Tuesday, in response to a query from MindaNews on what the program is all about, with only three months left to the end of the transition period.
Critics have pointed to the Presidential visit as related to the 1st BARMM Parliamentary Elections on September 14, 2026.
Election, End of transition
The President’s visit on Wednesday is eight days before July 30, the start of the 45-day election campaign period for the Sept. 14 polls.
The newly-elected officials will assume their posts on October 30, the same day the transition period that started in February 2019, will end after seven years and eight months.
The transition period was supposed to be for three years only. It should have ended on June 30, 2022 but was extended until June 30, 2025, extended again until October 30, 2025 and now, until October 30, 2026.
Marcos appointed Macacua as interim Chief Minister in March 2025, replacing Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim, chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the liberation front that signed a peace agreement — Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro – on March 27, 2014, paving the way for the establishment of the BARMM.
Murad served as interim Chief Minister from February 2019 to March 2025.
Macacua in 2003 succeeded Murad as Chief of Staff of the MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), after Murad took over the chairmanship of the MILF following the death of founding chair Salamat Hashim in July 2003.
But Macacua’s appointment did not sit well with the MILF leadership and until now the MILF Peace Implementing Panel and groups supportive of the MILF are still demanding that the President reinstates Murad and other nominees of the MILF who were not appointed by Marcos in March 2025.
Murad is number one among 40 nominees for party representative of the United Bangsamoro Justice Party (UBJP), the MILF’s political party.
Macacua is running for district representative as an Independent candidate for the 3rd district of Maguindanao del Norte.
Voters in the BARMM will elect 80 Members of Parliament: 40 party representatives, 32 single district representatives and eight sectoral representatives. The elected members vote for the Chief Minister.
Macacua was UBJP Secretary-General until recently. Last month, Mohajirin Ali, UBJP spokesperson, was appointed as acting Sec-Gen.
What Macacua’s status in the UBJP is still with the Arbitral Committee, Ali said. From the Arbitral Committee, this will be elevated to the Central Party Committee of the UBJP “for final decision,” he said.
Macacua is running as an independent candidate but has been endorsed by several parties including the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP), a new regional parliamentary political party that also has MILF and MILF supporters as members. The BFP is believed to be allied with the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), President Marcos’ party.
In October 2024, the PFP and UBJP forged an alliance for the 2025 elections, endorsing the candidacy, among others, of Tucao Mastura for governor of Maguindanao del Norte and Datu Ali Midtimbang Sr. for governor of Maguindanao del Sur. Mastura won against former Sultan Kudarat Governor Suharto Mangudadatu while Midtimbang won against Mangudadatu’s wife, reelectionist Governor Bai Mariam Mangudadatu.
Areas of Concern in BARMM polls
The Commission on Elections has listed areas of concern in the September 14 polls, as of July 15: 39 classified as yellow or areas of concern; 27 classified as orange or areas of immediate concern; and 27 classified as red or areas of grave concern.
Lanao del Sur, the vote-richest province in the BARMM, has the most number “red” areas: 21, followed by Maguindanao del Sur with 13, and one each in Basilan, Maguindanao del Norte, and Special Geographic Area.
Twenty-seven areas were classified as “Orange” with Maguindanao posting the highest number at 14, followed by Maguindanao del Sur with seven, Lanao del Sur and Special Geographic Area (SGA) with three each, and two in Basilan.
Thirty nine areas were classified as “Yellow,” with 14 in Lanao del Sur, nine in Maguindanao del Norte, seven in Maguindaao del Sur, and Basilan and SGA with four each.
Fifteen areas were classified “Green” or areas with no history of security concern: 11 in Tawi-Tawi and four in Basilan. (Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews)
0 Comments