Bangsamoro regional head to chair COVID-19 task force

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) - In the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) of the Philippines, the region's Chief Minister Murad Ebrahim will head the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF), an official statement said on Wednesday.

The BARMM created the IAFT in the region after the Philippines declared health emergency in the country last month.

According to the task force, the autonomous region has eight confirmed cases.

Three people have died due to the infection which first appeared in Wuhan, China last December. There are around 263 suspected cases in the region, the IAFT added.

The inter-agency task force provides policies and formulate practical measures to avoid spread of COVID-19 in the region, the statement said.

“The task force has set up an emergency operation center inside the Bangsamoro Government Center in the city to monitor the COVID-19 cases in the region.

“The IATF also leads the repacking and distribution of medical supplies and relief goods in the Bangsamoro region," it noted.

- Autonomous government

A historic referendum was held on Jan. 21 and Feb. 6 in southern Mindanao, granting autonomy to Moro Muslims in the Philippines.

On Feb. 26, Ebrahim took his post as the regional prime minister from the central government’s governor in an official ceremony.

He was appointed by Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte to administer the Bangsamoro Transition Authority through 2022.

With the comprehensive autonomy, Muslims will be free in their internal affairs, being able to establish and administer courts of Islamic law within their jurisdiction and manage their surrounding waters jointly with the central government.

They will be bound to the Philippines in foreign policy, with some flexibility.

In addition, former fighters of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front as well as its current members will be eligible to join the official armed forces.

- Global situation

After originating in Wuhan, China last December, the virus has spread to at least 185 countries and regions across the world, with its epicenter shifting to Europe, while China has largely come out of the crisis.

Over 2 million people have been infected worldwide while more than 516,000 people recovered from the disease, according to data compiled by the U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University. Nearly 137,000 have died.

Despite the rising number of cases, most people who get infected suffer only mild symptoms and make a recovery.