Fighters of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF), the armed wing of the ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), are displeased with false promises of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Many of them remain jobless despite having surrendered their weapons in compliance with the decommissioning provision stated in the final agreement between the MILF and Government of the Philippines.

Their displease further escalated after the postponement of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) election from 2022 to 2025. This will extend the term of incumbent officials who, according to the fighters, are exclusively benefiting from the establishment of BARMM. They said that BARMM did not benefit real fighters who struggled for the Moro’s right to self determination over the past decades.

As of September, around 12,000 of 40,000 BIAF forces have already hand over their weapons in exchange for jobs which they are yet to receive. Approximately 14,000 more fighters are set to surrender their firearms.

Even non-Moros are displeased with the administration of the BTA. According to Loyukan, a Lumad organization in Far South Mindanao, the BTA has not implemented any action to resolve the series killings of Lumad Tedurays and Lambiangan over the past years. From July 2018 to July 2019, the group documented the killing of 11 Lumad leaders in Maguindanao. This year, 12 more Lumads were killed due to land conflicts. BARMM has jurisdiction over 127,000 non-Moro residents residing in 208,258 hectares of ancestral lands in Far South Mindanao.

All BTA officials were appointed by Rodrigo Duterte and pays favors to him.