BARMM chief Macacua wins in Maguindanao del Norte’s 3rd District - Rappler

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BARMM POLLS. Former acting Maguindanao del Norte governor Abdulraof 'Sammy Gambar' Macacua was appointed the interim chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in March 2025.

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Interim Chief Minister Abdulraof “Sammy Gambar” Macacua has officially won the race for the 3rd District seat of Maguindanao del Norte in the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.

The Commission on Elections proclaimed Macacua as Member of Parliament-elect for his district at 6:17 pm on Tuesday, September 15, after he received 37,483, or 79.27% of the votes. He defeated his only opponent, Badrudin Mamad, who only got 9,801 or 20.7% of the votes.

His victory secures his spot in the Bangsamoro Parliament, making him eligible to be chosen as the first elected BARMM chief minister. 

Macacua, who was acting governor of Maguindanao del Norte, was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as interim chief minister of BARMM in March 2025, succeeding Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim, the chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Macacua’s appointment caused tensions within the MILF, which later resulted in his indefinite suspension as chief of MILF’s Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces.

The chief minister filed his candidacy as an independent candidate, but joined the Bangsamoro Federalist Party in August, becoming party president and taking over the role of Member of Parliament Tomanda Antok. – Rappler.com