Tawi-tawi Gov. Yshmael Sali corrects reports on ‘Muslim (BARMM) governors, civil workers ‘up in arms’ in Mindanao’

I WRITE regarding the Manila Times piece entitled “BARMM govs, civil workers up in arms” by Al Jacinto dated Dec. 21, 2019, and also posted in your website.

The subject article stated that “Basilan Gov. Jim Salliman, Tawi-tawi Gov. Yshmael Sali, Deputy Speaker and former ARMM governor Mujiv Hataman have joined forces with Tan in calling for the President to step in and stop [Al-haj Murad] Ebrahim.” The article also stated that: “The governors, along with Interior Undersecretary Alexander Macario and senior military and police officials led by Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana of the Western Mindanao Command, flew to Sulu on Thursday and joined the forum.”

With all due respect,

the subject article is erroneous and misleading as I did not fly and join a forum in Sulu with Governors Sakur Tan and Jim Salliman and other government officials, nor did I join forces with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) governors and Cong. Mujiv Hataman to call for the intercession of the President Rodrigo R. Duterte in stopping BARMM Interim Chief Minister Alhaj Murad Ebrahim in the impending BARMM personnel movements.

I am fully aware of the separation of employees who worked with the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) in accordance with the implementation of Section 10, Article XVI of Republic Act 11054, or the “Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.”

I am fully committed to the best welfare of the constituents of the BARMM, especially within the province of Tawi-tawi, and will cooperate and coordinate with the administration of the BARMM during the transition period for the effective delivery of public services.

Trusting that this corrects the said article and is treated with similar publicity.

YSHMAEL “MANG” I. SALI

Governor, Province of Tawi-tawi Editor’s Note:

The same news article entitled: “Muslim governors, civil workers ‘up in arms’ in Mindanao” also appeared on the Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper and its website. I apologized to Gov. Sali as I failed to mention in the article that he was not in the meeting and only sent a representative. Al Jacinto Author