Peace agreement anniversary: Gov’t, MILF shift focus to normalization

COTABATO CITY — The government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on Thursday, Oct. 15, marked the 14th anniversary of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB), with the government’s top peace official saying the peace process will now focus on normalization.

The shift follows the election of the region’s first Parliament last month.

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“Today, our primary focus shifts to the normalization track: ensuring that decommissioned (MILF) combatants, their families, and the communities and the six acknowledged camps experience the tangible dividends of peace,” Presidential Peace Adviser and concurrent GPH Peace Implementing Panel (PIP) chairperson Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento said in a statement.

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Sarmiento also said the election of the first Bangsamoro Parliament carried forward the political track first outlined in the FAB.

He cited recent steps taken by both sides.

At a special meeting in Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 25, the GPH and MILF PIPs approved the terms of reference for a roadmap to complete the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).

The panels also signed an addendum to accelerate socioeconomic support for decommissioned combatants and renewed the mandates of the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group and the Civilian Protection Component.

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Sarmiento also noted that the final report of the Parcellary Inventory Project was launched this week, describing it as a tool to guide development and address land concerns in priority areas across the six MILF camps.

“As chairperson of the GPH Peace Implementing Panel, I reaffirm the government’s commitment, under the leadership of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to work with our MILF partners until every commitment under our signed agreements is fulfilled,” he said.

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In a separate message in English and Filipino, MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim called the FAB “a historic milestone in the Bangsamoro people’s long struggle for justice, self-determination, and lasting peace.”

Ebrahim said the gains of the peace process show that the Bangsamoro’s aspirations can be advanced through peaceful and democratic means.

He paid tribute to the sacrifices of MILF members and supporters who gave their lives and strength to the cause.

“We have come far, but we still have much to do,” Ebrahim said in Filipino. “Achieving autonomy is an important victory, but it comes with the duty to strengthen our institutions, safeguard peace, and ensure that every Bangsamoro feels the fruits of our struggle.”

He urged the promotion of “moral governance,” which he described as governance based on integrity, accountability, justice, and concern for the people.

“The Bangsamoro government is for all, regardless of tribe, faith, or community,” he added.

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The FAB was among the preliminary agreements signed by the government and the MILF, laying the foundation for the signing of the CAB in 2014 and paving the way for the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in 2019. /mcm