Iqbal welcomes Palace vow not to meddle in BARMM chief selection
Mohagher Iqbal, who chairs the MILF Peace Implementing Panel and holds a seat in the Bangsamoro Parliament, has welcomed Malacañang's pledge to stay out of the region's selection of its next chief minister. The assurance came from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and Iqbal thanked him for what he described as a clear commitment to non-interference. The Bangsamoro transition is entering the stage where parliament must pick a new leader, a process the former rebel group has long insisted must remain in local hands. Iqbal's response reflects the MILF position that the chief minister should be chosen solely by members of the Bangsamoro parliament in Cotabato City, with no hand from the Palace. The post carries authority over the regional budget and the ministries, as well as the implementation of commitments under the peace agreement. A hands-off stance from the national government, in the MILF's reading, keeps the political track of the 2014 pact on schedule. Attention now turns to the parliament itself, where the majority bloc has to settle on a candidate through its own vote. For Iqbal, the guarantee means the region can manage its own political affairs as the transition moves forward.
