By Priam Nepomuceno
The national government will neither interfere nor take part in the selection of regional leaders in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to preserve its autonomy.
This was stressed by Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, in a statement on Monday, vis-a-vis President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to uphold the true essence of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
The Commission on Elections has proclaimed the winners of the first regular BARMM polls, which posted a record-breaking 84.34 percent voter turnout.
“A united and thriving BARMM is vital not only to the socioeconomic transformation of Mindanao, but to the sustained economic growth of the entire Philippines. We firmly believe that true national stability can only be achieved through inclusive growth, where no region is left behind and every community shares in the dividends of peace,” Sarmiento said in a news release on Monday.
As the Political Track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) reaches full maturity, Sarmiento said upcoming engagements will place a strong and renewed focus on the full implementation of the Normalization Track.
“The President’s call for unity aims to rally all leaders and stakeholders to actively help fulfill the decommissioning process for the remaining Moro Islamic Liberation Front combatants, accelerate the dismantling of Private Armed Groups, and hopefully advance parallel peace-building and decommissioning agreement with the Moro National Liberation Front,” Sarmiento said.
The current Marcos administration bids to “leave a lasting legacy of peace, ensuring that the next administration inherits a stable, progressive BARMM and a peaceful Mindanao that will continue to anchor and strengthen the Philippine economy for generations to come,” he added. (PNA)
