President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has formally declared the province of Sulu to be under the jurisdiction of Region IX or the Zamboanga Peninsula, effectively separating it from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). This declaration, made through Executive Order (EO) No. 91, was signed on July 30, 2024, alongside Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin.
The move follows a final and executory Supreme Court resolution from 2024, which affirmed Sulu’s exclusion from the BARMM. The province had previously voted against ratifying the Bangsamoro Organic Law during the 2019 plebiscite.
President Marcos issued the EO to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of government services to the people of Sulu and to address the impacts of the Supreme Court’s decision. The high court’s ruling, while affirming Sulu’s exclusion, also stipulated that decisions and policies made while the province was temporarily part of the BARMM would not be summarily nullified.
The President emphasized the need for a “phased and seamless transition” during the interim period, which is set to cover Fiscal Year 2025. During this time, the provincial and local governments of Sulu, along with relevant National Government Agencies (NGAs), will work to facilitate this shift.
To ensure service continuity, President Marcos stated that the Bangsamoro Government, the Provincial Government of Sulu, and its local government units (LGUs) are authorized to enter into “appropriate institutional arrangements or mechanisms aimed at sustaining the implementation and financing of programs, activities, and projects.”
EO No. 91 also mandates the creation of a Technical Working Group (TWG) to oversee the transition. Chaired by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the TWG will include representatives from national government agencies, BARMM government agencies, and the governor of Sulu. The group is tasked with resolving transition-related issues and ensuring the smooth implementation of the Supreme Court’s ruling.
