The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) has a new leader following the passing of former Speaker Pangalian Balindong. On Tuesday, October 21, 2025, the BTA members unanimously elected Mohammad Yacob as the new Speaker of the Parliament.

Yacob takes the helm after the death of Balindong, who passed away on October 2, 2025, from an undisclosed illness.

Speaker Yacob’s Background and Election

 

Mohammad Yacob was selected from a pool of nominees, which included Nabil Tan, Jose Lorena, and Odin Sumagayan. A fifth nominee, Balindong’s son Ahmad Amir, withdrew from the race on Monday, October 20.

Yacob brings a strong academic and public service background to the top BTA post:

Education: He holds a Shari’ah Law degree from the International Islamic University in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. He also earned a master’s degree in public administration and a doctorate in philosophy from Cotabato State University.
Previous Roles: Prior to his election as Speaker, Yacob served as the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Agrarian Reform and later as Senior Minister in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Mohagher Iqbal, Member of Parliament and first vice chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) central committee, expressed confidence in the new speaker. He stated that Yacob is the best choice to advance the cause of the MILF and the United Bangsamoro Justice Party within the Parliament.

 

Focus on the Districting Bill and Elections

The transition comes as the BTA faces mounting pressure regarding the conduct of the regional parliamentary elections, which have been postponed three times.

Deputy Speaker Nabil Tan is optimistic that the BTA can successfully pass a new districting bill to allow the elections to proceed no later than March 31, 2026.

Regarding the timeline set by the Supreme Court, Tan described the October 30, 2025, deadline to pass a new districting law as “suggestive.” He suggested that an extension to November 30, 2025, would be acceptable to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), noting that “Some BTA members are already prepared to file the enabling bill.”

The BTA’s immediate task is now centered on passing the necessary legislation to pave the way for the region’s first-ever parliamentary elections.