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(SDN) — Officials of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) welcomed Archbishop Charles John Brown, papal nuncio to the Philippines, hailing the Marcos administration’s “impressive progress” as a result of the Bangsamoro peace process.
He made the statement during the traditional Vin d’ honneur hosted by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. in Malacañang on Wednesday, June 12, as part of the Philippines’ 126th Independence Day commemoration. Vin d’honneurs, hosted by the President on New Year’s Day and Independence Day, open the Palace to visitors.
“In this connection, the international community supports and indeed congratulates the Philippines for the impressive progress that has been made in these years through the Bangsamoro peace process,” the Catholic Church leader told the President as reported by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
This positive review of the peace process was not lost on BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag “Al-Haj Murad” Ebrahim and BARMM Education Minister Mohagher M. Iqbal, who recently submitted his resignation to the former as chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace panel, which he has been holding for many years.
Ebrahim, chair of the MILF Central Committee, said the archbishop’s positive remarks on the peace process speaks volume of the fruits of the peace process transpiring in the Bangsamoro region owing to the peace process, as he welcomed the endorsement of the peace process from the Papal Nuncio.
On the other hand, Iqbal who, in the meantime, is awaiting approval or disapproval of his resignation, said:
“We appreciate Archbishop Charles John Brown’s remarks hailing the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s ‘impressive progress’ because of the Bangsamoro peace process,” Iqbal, head of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE), one of the BARMM’s 15 primary ministries. He is the MILF chief negotiator and chair of its Peace Implementing Panel.
The BARMM official emphasized that the BARMM population composed of Muslim, Christian, and Indigenous People (IP) are now enjoying the fruits of the peace process.
“We will continue to work for the betterment of the region and its population as long as we are here,” Iqbal assured, who wears many hats in the peace negotiations.
On the part of the MBHTE under Iqbal’s leadership, the education ministry has been implementing various initiatives aimed at raising the quality of education in the region comprised of the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, the cities of Lamitan, Marawi, and Cotabato City, as well as the Special Geographic Area (SGA), now with eight new municipalities.
Among the reforms he has been implementing include the hiring of teaching and non-teaching personnel (close to 5,000 hired as of the present), construction of new school buildings, refurbishment of old ones, putting up facilities, distribution of IT equipment, Teachers’ Kits and Learners’ Kits, school supplies, etc.
The dean of the country’s Diplomatic Corps, Brown was referring to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) the Philippine Government (GPH) forged with the MILF. They signed the landmark peace accord on March 27, 2014, after 17 years of protracted negotiations, ending decades of internecine conflict in Mindanao.
Most likely, the “Bangsamoro peace process” the papal nuncio cited may also include the 1996 Final Peace Agreement (FPA) between the GPH and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) as together the FPA and the CAB are instrumental in achieving peace in the Philippines, in general, and in Central Mindanao, in particular.
Perhaps, Brown was acknowledging the establishment of the BARMM as a new political entity (NPE) in 2018, the creation of a Bangsamoro version of a parliamentary government in a Republican setup, and a generally peaceful situation in Mindanao, among other achievements that can be traced back to the Bangsamoro peace process.
Path of dialogue brings world of hope, safety and prosperity
Since he assumed the presidency in 2022, Marcos has visited the BARMM region at least three times, as he assured his strong support to the Bangsamoro government and the implementation of the CAB.
Brown voiced his remarks as the dean of the Diplomatic Corps, sending the “collective and sincere best wishes” of the group of foreign diplomats stationed in the country. More than 80 diplomats and dignitaries attended the Vin d’ honneur.
Speaking at the Palace event, Brown also recognized the “noble and honorable aspiration” of the President to push for unity in the Philippines and the 10th anniversary of the signing of the CAB.
The Catholic leader also shared his experience during his visit in Jolo which he called a place that suffered grievously during the long years of armed conflict. He said he was overwhelmed by the sense of hope that is present “in the hearts of the people” in Jolo.
Apparently, immersing himself with the developments in the Bangsamoro region, the archbishop also expressed the collective support of the Diplomatic Corps for the upcoming first BARMM parliamentary elections scheduled in May 2025.
On the other hand, the Marcos said: “Let us all do everything we possibly can to ensure that the hopes of the people of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will not be disappointed.”
“In this situation, if we want to make a world of safety and prosperity for our children, the way forward for all of us is the same path that has brought the hope of peace to the people of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and that is the path of dialogue — [patient], serious, dialogue, together with a respect for international law and a respect for legitimate diversity,” he added.
Meanwhile, the President had also made known that he wants the parliamentary polls to push through, saying it would be a test of the resilience of the gains of the peace process. (/)
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Source: PCO/BARMM