Bangsamoro peace process assured until Duterte ends term

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 22, 2022): Bangsamoro peace process assured until Duterte ends term (By Lade Jean Kabagani)

Peace adviser Sec. Carlito Galvez Jr. (3rd from left) (OPAPRU photo)

The administration of President Rodrigo Duterte will honor all signed peace agreements with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Peace adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. assured Friday.

Galvez also hopes that the peace process nurtured over the years will continue in the succeeding administrations.

In a social media post, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPRU) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim in Mindanao (BARMM) reaffirmed their commitments to sustain the gains of various peace agreements in Mindanao.

“Rest assured, as I promised when I was Chief of Staff [of the Armed Forces of the Philippines], that all my life, with the National Defense Secretary (Delfin Lorenzana), all our lives, we will dedicate to the peace process,” Galvez said.

He added that there is much work to be done but with the strong partnerships developed, the Philippines “shall overcome the challenges that come our way”.

BARMM Chief Minister Ahod "Murad" Ebrahim remembered the long journey of the Bangsamoro fighters toward self-determination and establishing their own government.

“It brings back memories of our work in establishing the BARMM. Let us also take this opportunity to celebrate our shared wins of what may very well be our greatest legacy for Mindanao and the rest of the country," Ebrahim said in a separate statement following a recent meeting between the national government and BARMM officials.

Among the matters discussed were ways to further implement the Bangsamoro peace process, ensure Duterte’s “legacy of peace”, and the status of implementation of various peace-building initiatives in Mindanao under the political and normalization tracks of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

The CAB consolidates and affirms the understanding and commitment between the government of the Philippines and the MILF.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1172703