President Rodrigo Roa Duterte officially approved on 03 March 2022 the proposal to maintain the current composition of the members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the interim government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
In the memorandum issued by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on the abovementioned date, he stated: “In the exigency of public service, and in accordance with Section 2 of Republic Act No. 11593, otherwise known as ‘An Act Resetting the First Regular Elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, please be informed that the request to maintain the current composition of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) is hereby approved. The incumbent members of the BTA shall continue in office in a holdover capacity, until otherwise directed by the Office of the President.”
In a holdover capacity, the terms of office of the BTA members are tied to the appointing authority, which in this case is President Duterte. This is to allow the next President to appoint a new set of BTA members once he or she assumes office.
The Security, Justice and Peace Cabinet Cluster (SJPCC) had earlier recommended to the President to keep the status quo in the BTA based on Resolution No. 173 issued by the BTA on 12 October 2021, and subsequently, Resolution No. 209 dated 15 February 2022.
The SJPCC made the recommendation in light of the fact that only three months remain before the newly-elected administration takes over the reins of government. This period would give the incumbent BTA members the time to complete their deliverables until June of this year.###
