MANILA – The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on Friday called on newly elected members of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Parliament to ensure that the region remains inclusive of Muslims, Christians, Indigenous Peoples and other communities.
CBCP president and Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera said the new BARMM leadership should uphold dignity, rights and religious freedom as the region enters a new political chapter.
“As the BARMM enters a new chapter, we appeal especially to its leaders: Make the Bangsamoro a home for everyone,” Garcera said in a pastoral statement.
He urged parliament members to govern for the common good rather than personal or partisan interests and to ensure that all communities are represented and protected.
Garcera also encouraged people of different faiths to work with the new leadership and foster greater understanding, respect and cooperation across Mindanao.
The appeal came after the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections, where more than two million registered voters chose 80 members of parliament, including district representatives and sectoral and party-list seats.
Comelec said turnout reached 84.34 percent, with 2,018,478 voters casting ballots out of 2,393,202 registered voters.