(Photo courtesy of PNA)
DAVAO CITY – The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) highlighted major developments in the government’s peace agenda, including the completion of the Cordillera peace process and the holding of the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Speaking during a media gathering Tuesday night, OPAPRU-Eastern Mindanao Director Elisa Evangelista-Lapiña said the event aimed to brief media partners on key developments in the Comprehensive Philippine Peace Process and thank them for their continued support.
Among the milestones cited was the Sept. 1 signing of the Agreement on the Fulfillment of the 1986 Mt. Data Peace Accord between the Government of the Philippines and the Cordillera-Bodong Administration-Cordillera People’s Liberation Army.
Lapiña said the agreement marked the full completion of the peace process between the government and the CBA-CPLA, making it the country’s first fully fulfilled peace accord.
She also cited the successful conduct of the first BARMM Parliamentary Elections on Sept. 14, describing the exercise as generally peaceful, orderly and credible despite isolated incidents of violence.
According to the Commission on Elections, voter turnout reached 84.34 percent, exceeding the projected 80 percent participation rate.
Lapiña said the elections completed the political track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and marked the transition from an appointed interim body to a democratically elected regional government.
OPAPRU also highlighted the Sept. 25 special meeting of the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace implementing panels in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The meeting, led by Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento and MILF Chairperson Mohagher Iqbal, resulted in the approval of the Terms of Reference for a Technical Working Group tasked with developing a roadmap for the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.
Lapiña said the meeting reflected the continued partnership between the government and the MILF and their commitment to sustaining peace gains in the Bangsamoro.
She also reported continuing efforts under the Local Peace Engagement program, particularly initiatives for former rebels, their families and communities.
Through Peace and Development Centers, local governments are able to better plan, implement and monitor programs aimed at helping former rebels reintegrate and contribute to peace and development, she said.
Lapiña expressed optimism that further gains in the country’s peace agenda would be achieved in the remaining months of the year.
