MANILA: The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) “has done more than enough” to foster stability and development in the region, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) said on Thursday.
OPAPRU chief Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. made the remark during the parliament’s third regular session on Tuesday, less than a year left before the first regular Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) elections set in 2025.
Galvez also highlighted the importance of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and stressed that its signing started a historic journey for the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that brought the two parties closer to its shared goal of fostering greater peace, development, and stability in the region.
“The path we’ve taken since the agreement has dramatically transformed the socioeconomic and sociopolitical landscape of the Bangsamoro region and the rest of Mindanao,” Galvez said in a news release.
The OPA
PRU chief also underscored the importance of genuine and lasting peace.
“The agreement has paved the way for a future that is filled with hope and the promise of a better life for the Bangsamoro people and all Filipinos. Peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but also the presence of justice, opportunity, and understanding. We must nurture and defend this peace, build bridges where walls once stood, and forge a path of progress that honors the sacrifices of Bangsamoro brothers and sisters to build a better and brighter tomorrow,” he added.
Amidst the challenges the interim BARMM government has faced since its creation in 2019, its officials, as well as counterparts in the national government, are confident that the remaining legislative measures pending before the parliament will be passed before the deadline.
The CAB, the peace deal signed between the government and the MILF paved the way for the creation of the BARMM. Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) that created the BARMM, the first election
s were originally scheduled in 2022.
However, an amendment in the BOL during the 18th Congress extended the term of the BTA for another three years and rescheduled the first BARMM elections in 2025.
Source: Philippines News Agency
