The Marcos administration has reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining government services in Sulu, despite the Supreme Court’s recent ruling excluding the province from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) made the announcement on Tuesday, following a meeting of the Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) on October 11.
The IGRB, composed of representatives from both the national and Bangsamoro governments, met to discuss the implications of the Supreme Court’s September 9 decision, which declared that Sulu is not part of the BARMM due to the province’s rejection of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in the 2019 plebiscite.
DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, the IGRB co-chairperson representing the national government, emphasized that the Marcos administration would ensure uninterrupted delivery of essential services in the region. “The national government will exert all efforts to ensure a smooth transition, taking a whole-of-government approach to continuously deliver essential services in the region,” Pangandaman said in a statement.
She also highlighted the IGRB’s responsibility to safeguard the governance, peace, and long-term development gains that have been achieved in BARMM.
Meanwhile, BARMM Education Minister and IGRB co-chairperson Mohagher Iqbal called for a unified effort to protect the interests of the people of Sulu during the transition period. He acknowledged the potential challenges that may arise, including salary payments for teaching and non-teaching staff, asset management, and other operational concerns.
“As we await the final resolution of the judicial process, it is essential that we adopt a collective approach to protect the rights, aspirations, and well-being of the people of Sulu,” Iqbal stated.
To address these challenges, the IGRB agreed to form a Technical Working Group (TWG) tasked with developing guidelines to ensure minimal disruption of services. The TWG will also provide recommendations for maintaining operational continuity during the transition.
The IGRB plans to coordinate with the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) to issue a written directive to the affected offices of the Bangsamoro government, the national government, and local government units, ensuring that government services in Sulu remain unaffected.
The Supreme Court’s unanimous ruling on September 9 upheld the validity of the BOL, which established the BARMM’s governance and political structure, but ruled that Sulu would not be part of the region. This decision came after Sulu Governor Abdusakur Tan II challenged the BOL’s legality, arguing that the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), the predecessor of BARMM, could not be abolished without amending the 1987 Constitution.
Despite this ruling, the national and Bangsamoro governments have agreed to maintain operational continuity in Sulu while awaiting the final decision on the matter. The Bangsamoro government has filed a motion for partial reconsideration to reintegrate Sulu into the autonomous region, but the outcome is still pending.
The IGRB’s ongoing efforts aim to ensure that the province’s residents continue to receive the government services they need during this period of legal and administrative transition.
