When the Bangsamoro is formed there will be a government, parliamentary in form. Maybe—as in federal Malaysia—the Bangsamoro autonomous region’s elected leader will be called “chief minister” though maybe the MILF leaders would prefer the title “prime minister.”

One question seasoned and wise observers of the Mindanao situation are asking is who will be the Bagsamoro government leader.

It is a good, relevant and necessary question. For the truth is that the ARMM — which President Aquino calls a “failed experiment” — did not work as well as all patriotic Filipinos, Muslim, Christian and Lumad, hoped it would—only partly because the national government did not do all its duties under the GRP-MNLF Final Peace Agreement. ARMM failed mainly because the ARMM governors and other officials did not perform as assiduously, as tirelessly and as virtuously as they should have.

Al Tillah, the former governor of Tawi-Tawi under the late President Cory Aquino, is among those who are worried that the implementation of the basic law (the mini constitution of Bangsamoro) will again prove to be the main problem because the wrong chief minister and officials will take office.

If Bangsamoro will be run like a normal democracy, the elected leader must be generally credible to all Filipino Muslims.

He must not only be a man (or woman) of demonstrated probity but also one of proven qualifications to serve as an effective chief executive officer. Then he has to be an inspiring figure.

And he must have for his highest goals the well-being of the Moro people and the Christian Filipinos in the Bangsamoro as well as the integrity both of the Bangsamoro government and of the Philippine Republic.