Marcos orders Sulu’s transition to Zamboanga Peninsula after SC ruling

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the administrative transfer of Sulu province to Region 9 (Zamboanga Peninsula), citing the Supreme Court’s final ruling and the province’s rejection of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in 2019.

Marcos signed Executive Order (EO) No. 91 on July 30, formalizing the shift and directing national government agencies to ensure a smooth transition.

“This covers Fiscal Year 2025,” Marcos said in the EO, adding that local government units in Sulu and relevant national agencies must “make all reasonable efforts to facilitate a phased and seamless transition.”

The EO followed the Supreme Court’s final decision affirming Sulu’s exclusion from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) after residents opposed the ratification of the BOL during the 2019 plebiscite.

Despite the shift, the EO allows the Bangsamoro Government and Sulu province to continue joint projects and services through institutional arrangements.

“[They] may… enter into appropriate institutional arrangements or mechanisms aimed at sustaining the implementation and financing of PAPs [programs, activities, and projects], thereby ensuring the continuity and uninterrupted delivery of government services,” Marcos said.

He also instructed national government agencies to consider Sulu’s inclusion in Region 9 in all administrative, planning, and budgeting processes.

A technical working group (TWG) will be established to develop the transition plan, address emerging issues, and oversee the implementation of the EO.