Abdulraof Macacua

Abdulraof Macacua
Macacua in 2023
Member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority Parliament
In office
March 29, 2019 – April 5, 2023[1]
Nominated byMoro Islamic Liberation Front
Appointed byRodrigo Duterte
Chief MinisterMurad Ebrahim
Governor of Maguindanao del Norte
Assumed office
April 5, 2023[a]
Appointed byBongbong Marcos
Vice GovernorAinee Sinsuat (until August 14, 2023)
Preceded byAinee Sinsuat
Bangsamoro Minister of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy
In office
February 26, 2019 – 2022
Chief MinisterMurad Ebrahim
Preceded byPosition established
Succeeded byAkmad Brahim
Bangsamoro Senior Minister
In office
November 11, 2019 – April 5, 2023
Preceded byEsmael Omar Pasigan
Succeeded byAbunawas Maslamama
Personal details
Born (1957-09-13) September 13, 1957 (age 66)
Kabuntalan, Cotabato, Philippines
Political partyPFP (2023-present)
UBJP (2014-present)[2]
Military career
Nickname(s)Sammy Gambar
Allegiance MILF
Battles/warsMoro conflict

Abdulraof A. Macacua, also known by his nom de guerre Sammy Gambar,[3] is a Filipino politician who is the Governor of Maguindanao del Norte.

Early life[edit]

Macacua was born on September 13, 1957, to Salma B. Macacua and Macacua W. Tubo-Tubo in Gambar in Kabuntalan, Cotabato (now in Maguindanao del Norte).[4]

Moro Islamic Liberation Front[edit]

In 1971, Macacua joined the Moro independence movement and adopted the nom de guerre Sammy Gambar. He fought for self-determination of the Moro people under the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's (MILF) armed wing, the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF). He underwent training both within the Philippines and abroad and rose the rank of the MILF. He later became Chief-of-Staff of the BIAF and a member of the MILF Peace Negotiating Panel which engaged in peace talks with the Philippine national government. He also became a member of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, a government body tasked to create an organic law for a Bangsamoro autonomous region.[4]

Bangsamoro government[edit]

Macacua (right) as Bangsamoro environment minister

Macacua became part of the regional government of Bangsamoro which superseded the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). He was appointed as part of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority and became a member of the interim Bangsamoro Parliament. As part of the Bangsamoro Cabinet he was tasked to head the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy and serve as concurrent Executive Secretary.[4][5] As environment minister, he overlooked the implementation of the Kayod sa Bangsamoro program, which encouraged backyard farming in the region.[6]

Maguindanao del Norte Governor[edit]

On April 5, 2023, President Bongbong Marcos appointed Macacua as the Officer in Charge (OIC) governor of the newly created Maguindanao del Norte province.[7] The Bangsamoro government initially endorsed Ibrahim Ibay, mayor of Parang, to be appointed to his role but the national government selected him in the end. He was assured by Marcos and Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim that his appointment is legal.[8] But his appointment remains challenged.[9]

On April 28, 2023, President Bongbong Marcos reappointed Macacua as the full pledged governor of the Maguindanao del Norte together with other officials of the provincial government.[10]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Served as Officer in Charge from April 5, 2023 to April 28, 2023.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Cabrera, Ferdinandh (12 February 2024). "Maguindanao del Norte governor's son appointed to Bangsamoro parliament – MindaNews". MindaNews. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
  2. ^ "MACACUA, ABDULRAOF A." Bangsamoro Parliament.
  3. ^ "Clans in Maguindanao's biggest 'rido' bury hatchet". mindanaodailymirror.ph. June 29, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c "Profile of Minister Abdulraof A. Macacua". Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy (Bangsamoro). Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  5. ^ Macabalang, Ali (November 12, 2019). "Murad reshuffles BARMM Cabinet". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved November 13, 2019.
  6. ^ Saiden, Albashir (April 23, 2020). "BARMM residents told to protect nature, do backyard farming". Philippine News Agency. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
  7. ^ "Marcos names OICs for Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur". GMA News. 5 April 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  8. ^ Cabrera, Ferdinandh (11 April 2023). "Appointed Maguindanao del Norte Gov reveals he wasn't BARMM's bet, but Malacañang's". MindaNews. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  9. ^ Cabrera, Ferdinandh (10 April 2023). "Maguindanao del Sur Gov's camp against appointment of Maguindanao del Norte Gov". MindaNews. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  10. ^ Flores, Helen (30 April 2023). "Marcos to prioritize new provinces of Maguindanao". Philippine Star. Retrieved 24 July 2023.