Cotabato City: The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) on Monday maintained that the transition to a new leadership in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) complies with relevant pacts and laws. 'The change of leadership in the BARMM adheres to both the letter and spirit of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and the Bangsamoro Organic Law,' OPAPRU chief Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said in a news release.
According to Philippines News Agency, on Sunday, Galvez hosted an iftar (fast-breaking meal during Ramadan) for 19 base commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) at the OPAPRU office in Cotabato City. During the iftar, the OPAPRU chief and the base commanders discussed the transition of new leadership in the BARMM and the ongoing implementation of the Normalization Program in accordance with the CAB.
Galvez said the Bangsamoro peace process is at a peak as it prepares for its first election in seven months. He said the first parliamentary election will mark a fulfillment of the implementation of the Political Track of the Bangsamoro peace agreement, whereby its people will now elect its new leaders.
Following the ratification of the BOL in 2019, which serves as the legal foundation of the CAB, the current members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) have all been presidential appointees. The BTA's term was originally set for three years, but the parliamentary elections have been reset twice.
On March 3, former BARMM Interim Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim sent a letter of resignation to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to focus on the upcoming first parliamentary elections in the region on Oct. 13. Marcos then appointed long-time Moro leader and Maguinadanao del Norte Governor Abdulraof Macacua as the new Interim Chief Minister. Macacua took his oath before the President on March 12.
On the same day, MILF base commanders issued a message of gratitude to Ebrahim and expressed their support for Macacua, who is the Chief of Staff of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces. On Saturday, the new members of the BTA took their oath before Macacua. The 80-member BTA remains MILF-led, which complies with the Bangsamoro peace agreement.
In his message, Macacua urged the new parliament members to serve the Bangsamoro people with integrity. 'The oath you take today symbolizes more than a mere affirmation of duties; it signifies your unwavering dedication to uphold the aspirations and rights of the Bangsamoro people,' he said.
