The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) is the interim regional government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao of the Philippines and exercises executive and legislative powers over the region.
History
With the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law following a plebiscite on January 21, 2019, the abolition process of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) began, paving the way for the formal creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. Under the law, a transition body, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), was to be organized pending the election of the new region's government officials in 2022.
The BTA was planned to be constituted in February 2019. It was projected that the transition body would be composed of a total of 105 members (80 appointed members and 25 elected officials of the ARMM) until June 30, 2019. After that date, the body would be composed of only 80 members.
Until the BTA was constituted, Section 5 of Article XVI of the Bangsamoro Organic Law provided for a caretaker body consisting of the same 25 ARMM officials as well as the original 20 members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission.
The 80 appointed members of the BTA took their oath on February 22, 2019, while the official turnover of the ARMM to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region occurred on February 26, 2019. The transition authority also had a legislative function during the transition period, with the BTA first convening as the interim Bangsamoro Parliament on March 29, 2019.
Transition work
During the transition period, the BTA, acting as the interim parliament, had obligations to fulfill.
Transition plan The Bangsamoro Organic Law mandates the interim chief minister to submit to the BTA, within the first 60 days of the transition period, a transition plan containing the Bangsamoro government's "proposed organizational plan, as well as, the schedule for implementation therefor." It also requires the BTA to approve or take action on the proposed plan within 10 days of its submission. If the BTA fails to act upon the plan within 10 days, the plan would be automatically approved and implemented within 15 days. According to Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim, the start of the transition period for the purpose of submitting the transition plan was March 29, the date of the inaugural session of the interim parliament. The plan's deadline was stated to be in May 2019.
The transition plan was then submitted to the Bangsamoro Parliament on June 17, 2019, and was approved by the legislature the following day.
Priority laws The BTA, as the interim Bangsamoro Parliament, was also required to pass into law the "priority legislation" enumerated in the Bangsamoro Organic Law. Following the fourth session of the parliament, eight ad hoc committees were formed to draft the priority legislation.
Interim Parliament The Bangsamoro Transition Authority has acted as the Bangsamoro Parliament on an interim basis. There have been two parliaments under the BTA acting as the interim parliament: the 1st (2019–2022) and the 2nd parliament (2022–present).
Parliament First appointment First session Chief minister 1st February 22, 2019 March 29, 2019 Murad Ebrahim 2nd August 12, 2022 September 15, 2022
See also Cabinet of Murad Ebrahim
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