Veteran solon still BTA-BARMM speaker

COTABATO CITY — Veteran lawmaker Atty. Pangalian Balindong was reelected by the members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority as speaker of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao provisional lawmaking body during a special assembly here Thursday.

Balindong stressed that it is only through unity that "we can repay the blood that our brothers and sisters had spilled to achieve their dream towards peace, progress and right for self-determination."

Balindong was unanimously elected by the majority of the parliament members present, who are already in the session hall of the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Center.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also witnessed the event.

Balindong was first elected to head the BTA in March 2019 and led the passing of landmark bills that became laws in BARMM.

Born 1 January 1940, Balindong is a veteran revolutionary fighter, lawyer, and politician as he once served as a House member representing Lanao del Sur's first district. He also served as deputy speaker of the House of Representatives and a member of the 1971 Philippine Constitutional Convention.

For most of his political life, Balindong advocated the age-old quest for self-determination of Muslim Filipinos in Mindanao.

Also elected as deputy speakers were BTA members Hatimil Hassan, Omar Yasser Sema, Paisalin Tago, Abdulkarim Misuari, Nabil Tan, Lanang Ali Jr., and Benjamin Loong.

Professor Raby Angkal and Abdulgani Caludtiag were also reelected as secretary-general and sergeant-at-arms of the parliament, respectively.

Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba was elected as the majority floor leader.

The new set of BTA officers takes office immediately and will serve until their successors are elected in 2025.