Ghazali Jaafar
{{Short description|Filipino militant and government official (1944–2019)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Ghazali Jaafar
| birth_date = {{birth date|1944|5|6}}
| birth_place = Cotabato City, Philippines
| death_date = {{death date and age|2019|3|13|1944|5|6}}
| death_place = Davao City, Philippines
| office2 = Member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority
| appointer2 = Rodrigo Duterte
| nominator2 = Moro Islamic Liberation Front
| predecessor2 = position and office created
| successor2 = Mudjib Abu
| termstart2 = February 22, 2019
| termend2 = March 13, 2019
| office3 = Chairman of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission
| president3 = Rodrigo Duterte
| successor3 = position and office abolished
| predecessor3 = Mohagher Iqbal
| termstart3 = February 10, 2017
| termend3 = February 22, 2019
| alma_mater = Notre Dame College
| image = Ghazali Jaafar - 2017 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Jaafar in November 2017
}}
Hajji Salik B. Abu{{cite journal |title=Ghadzali Jaafar: The Father of the BOL|journal=The Parliament |date=June 2020 |issue=1 |page=15 |url=https://parliament.bangsamoro.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/BTA-MAGAZINE.pdf |publisher=Bangsamoro Parliament}} more commonly known as Ghazali Jaafar (6 May 1944 – 13 March 2019) was a Filipino militant and government official. He fought under the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). He served as chairman of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), and the Speaker of the Parliament designate under the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), the interim regional government of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.{{cite news |title=MILF vice chairman Ghazali Jaafar dies at 75 |url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/13/19/milf-vice-chairman-ghazali-jaafar-dies-at-75 |accessdate=13 March 2019 |work=ABS-CBN News |date=13 March 2019}}
Early life
Jaafar was born on May 6, 1944. While in high school, Jaafar established a youth group that encouraged activism among students and out-of-school youth in Cotabato City. He pursued a course in political science at Notre Dame College with an intention to become a lawyer,{{cite news |last1=Rita |first1=Joviland |title=Ghazali Jaafar, guerilla fighter turned peace champion |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/regions/687790/ghazali-jaafar-guerilla-fighter-turned-peace-champion/story/ |accessdate=13 March 2019 |work=GMA News |date=13 March 2019}} but stopped studies to join the Moro armed struggle against the government.{{cite news |last1=Arguilas |first1=Carolyn |title=MILF's Ghazali Jaafar passes away; his last public appeal to fellow leaders: "be the unifying forces for our people" |url=https://www.mindanews.com/peace-process/2019/03/milfs-ghazali-jaafar-passes-away-his-last-public-appeal-to-fellow-leaders-be-the-unifying-forces-for-our-people/ |accessdate=13 March 2019 |work=MindaNews |date=13 March 2019}}
Career
=Militant=
Jaafar was a member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that initially campaigned for an independent state in Mindanao, but later pursued autonomy for Bangsamoro region. He was the group's Vice Chair.
Jaafar led MILF's dialogue with the national government, serving as the first chairman of the group's negotiating panel from 1996 to 1997.{{cite news |title=Senators grieve over death of MILF vice chair Jaafar |url=https://www.ptvnews.ph/senators-grieve-over-death-of-milf-vice-chair-jaafar/ |accessdate=13 March 2019 |work=PTV News |date=13 March 2019}} He signed the general cessation of hostilities in Cagayan de Oro on July 18, 1997. The MILF signed a peace agreement with the national government in 2014 under the administration of then-President Benigno Aquino III.
=Bangsamoro transition=
Under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, Jaafar led the BTC, a body tasked to aid in the creation of a draft of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.{{Cite news|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/870465/21-bangsamoro-transition-commission-members-named|title=21 Bangsamoro Transition Commission members named|last=Aning|first=Jerome|access-date=2018-10-07|language=en}}{{Cite news|url=https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/870301/duterte-names-new-bangsamoro-transition-council-members|title=Duterte names new Bangsamoro Transition Council members|last=Corrales|first=Nestor|access-date=2018-10-07|language=en}}
He was named into the BTA and made his last public appearance in February 2019 when he and other members of the transition body were sworn in. He was later designated to serve as the Speaker of the Bangsamoro Parliament.{{cite news |title=Bangsamoro Transition Commission Chairman Ghazali Jaafar dies at 75 |url=http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/3/13/milf-ghazali-jaafar-death-bangsamoro.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190316042851/http://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/3/13/milf-ghazali-jaafar-death-bangsamoro.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 16, 2019 |accessdate=13 March 2019 |work=CNN Philippines |date=13 March 2019}}
Illness and death
Months prior to his death on March 13, 2019, Jaafar was experiencing an internal illness. In 2018, he was rushed a hospital in Metro Manila due to a heart problem. His last three days{{cite news |last1=Genotiva |first1=Mara |title=MILF's Jaafar dies |url=http://davaotoday.com/main/politics/milfs-jaafar-dies/ |accessdate=13 March 2019 |work=Davao Today |date=13 March 2019}} were at the Metro Davao Medical and Research Center in Davao City.{{cite news |last1=Magsino |first1=Dona |title=AFP, PNP remember MILF vice chair Jaafar as worthy adversary, dependable partner in peace |url=https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/687812/afp-pnp-remember-milf-vice-chair-jaafar-as-worthy-adversary-dependable-partner-in-peace/story/ |accessdate=13 March 2019 |work=GMA News |date=13 March 2019}} He died due to kidney failure.