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CAMP DARAPANAN, Maguindanao del Norte, December 21, 2025 – The Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Implementing Panels officially launched on Tuesday, December 9, the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation (TJR) Roadmap.
The launch, held at the MILF’s administrative base, operationalizes a critical mandate enshrined in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), specifically under the Annex on Normalization signed on January 25, 2014.
The TJR Roadmap outlines the interventions to be carried out by the national and Bangsamoro governments, civil society and other stakeholders to address legitimate grievances, correct historical injustices, resolve human rights violations, and remedy marginalization through land dispossession.
It is anchored on the “Dealing with the Past” framework, which upholds the rights to truth, justice, reparation, and guarantees of non-recurrence.
Strengthening the heart and soul of the peace process
Bangsamoro Education Minister Mohagher M. Iqbal, chairperson of the MILF Peace Implementing Panel, described the roadmap as a testament to the dedication of both parties to complete the normalization track. He emphasized that true progress requires a confrontation with the past.
“That monumental initiative that resulted in the TJR Report asked to put to paper what the Bangsamoro have stored in our hearts and minds all along: that our ancestors went through so much injustice, and we, their successors, still feel the pain and the consequences of oppression,” Iqbal said.
He further noted that “there is no moving forward without looking at the past,” highlighting that while forgiveness is possible, forgetting the history of the struggle is not an option.
Presidential Assistant Cesar Yano, chairperson of the GPH Peace Implementing Panel, echoed these sentiments, stressing that the roadmap transforms theoretical concepts into tangible deliverables for the Bangsamoro people.
“Transitional Justice and Reconciliation is not an abstract concept. It represents a comprehensive set of actions aimed at addressing legitimate grievances and historical injustices, human rights violations arising from the conflict in Mindanao,” Yano stated.
The launch was described by Yano not as mere compliance with a deliverable, but as a “realization of our unwavering commitment to the Bangsamoro people that their stories are heard, their grievances recognized, and their healing prioritized.”
A call for legislative action
In his keynote message, MILF Chairman Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim appealed directly to national legislators to institutionalize the TJR framework through the passage of the bill creating the National Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission for the Bangsamoro (NTJRCB).
“We humbly urge members of Congress to take time and demonstrate compassion and deep understanding for the struggle against injustices and tyranny. Please pass the law creating the National TJR Commission,” Ebrahim said.
He asserted that justice and reconciliation in the Bangsamoro are critical to the fabric of peace and stability in the entire region, pointing out, “When peace prevails in the Bangsamoro, it reverberates as hope across the nation,” Ebrahim added.
The roadmap, which was formally approved by the panels on January 31, 2025, outlines two parallel tracks for implementation based on the earlier recommendations of the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC).
Track One focuses on the legislative creation of the NTJRCB, while Track Two focuses on specific policies and programs mandated by the CAB to address the roots of the conflict through existing agency mandates.
Broad support for a vital milestone
Support was also voiced by local leaders and civil society. In a message read by representative Muhaimin P. Mama, Maguindanao del Norte’s Governor Datu Tucao Mastura hailed the roadmap as a “vital milestone on the Normalization Track.”
Additionally, the Consortium of Bangsamoro Civil Society (CBCS), led by Guiamel Alim and represented by Mohammad Omar, acknowledged delays but welcomed the progress, stating, “It has been a long and winding road, but surely now we can see the light at the end of the tunnel,” the CBCS message read.
International partners also shared their insights and threw their full support behind the TJR Roadmap, with Mo Bleeker, the former Chair of the TJRC, reminding stakeholders via a video message that reconciliation “is a process—one that requires patience, empathy, and the courageous willingness to stand in one another’s shoes.”
Two tracks for implementation
OPAPRU Executive Director Cesar De Mesa, chair of the GPH Technical Working Group on TJR, explained that the roadmap is divided into legislative and programmatic approaches.
“We intend to refine all the bills passed so that we can provide them to whoever we choose to champion in Congress and the Senate to help defend them during deliberation,” De Mesa said regarding Track One.
Amir Mawallil Dodo, chairperson of the MILF Technical Working Group on TJR, elaborated on the operational aspects of Track Two, particularly those regarding the correction of historical narratives and land issues.
“We will help each other correct the negative description of the Moro people. Because we are now demanding respect from each other,” Dodo said.
Regarding land issues, Dodo explained: “Those that can be returned, return them; those that cannot be returned, pay for them; those that cannot be paid for, acknowledge and apologize to the owner.”
Sustaining the peace momentum
The event concluded with a message from Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity Secretary Carlito G. Galvez, Jr., delivered by OPAPRU Presidential Assistant David B. Diciano.
“This roadmap represents a renewed commitment between the national government and the MILF to carry out transitional justice and reconciliation in the Bangsamoro,” Galvez’s statement read.
While celebrating the milestone, Galvez acknowledged that the launch signifies the beginning of more challenging work for both parties and peace stakeholders in the region.
“With the continued solidarity of the national and BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonimous Region in Muslim Mindanao) governments, the MILF, and the Bangsamoro people, I am confident that our dream of achieving a just, lasting, and inclusive future for the Bangsamoro and the entire nation is now within reach,” he concluded. (/)