Former BARMM adviser warns of ‘breach of Trust’ in Bangsamoro peace process

COTABATO City -- A former senior adviser to the Bangsamoro government warned that recent central government interventions are dismantling the foundation of the 2014 peace agreement, transforming promised autonomy into centralized control.

Bong Montesa, former senior adviser to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) chief minister, argued in a recent policy analysis that the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) has shifted from a facilitator to a central political actor that is bypassing established peace mechanisms. 

Montesa said the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) relies on a "core bargain" where the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) abandoned its bid for independence in exchange for genuine self-governance.

“I have watched peace processes stall. Those failures are real. They have costs. But they are correctable,” Montesa said.

He argued that the current situation is not a routine implementation gap but a violation of the core reason the agreement exists.

The former adviser highlighted the plight of 26,145 decommissioned MILF fighters as evidence of failed commitments.

Despite government promises of socioeconomic packages, Montesa said none of the former combatants have successfully transitioned to productive civilian life.

The lack of progress led the MILF to suspend the decommissioning of its remaining 14,000 fighters in July 2025, resulting in ₱788 million in allocated funds being returned to the national treasury. Montesa described these men as individuals who staked their entire futures on a promise that remains unfulfilled.

Montesa pointed to several specific developments between 2025 and early 2026 that he claims demonstrate a pattern of overreach by Manila.

In March 2025, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Abdulraof Macacua as interim chief minister, replacing MILF Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim.

MILF Vice Chairman Mohagher Iqbal characterized the move as a "regime change" that bypassed bilateral mechanisms intended to govern such decisions.

The situation worsened in February 2026 when the chairman of the government peace implementing panel resigned under reported pressure from OPAPRU.

The MILF has since paused formal engagements in the peace process, which Montesa says has effectively disrupted the institutional framework of the CAB.

He argued that these actions weaken the MILF’s position as a negotiating partner and threaten to return the region to the centralized control of the national government.

Montesa also criticized the muted response from international organizations and civil society groups, suggesting their silence to preserve local access risks normalizing deviations from the peace deal.

To restore stability, he called for returning OPAPRU to a neutral role, fulfilling socioeconomic and amnesty commitments, and treating the MILF as an equal partner.

He warned that the current trajectory mirrors past failed efforts with the Moro National Liberation Front, which eventually led to renewed conflict.

As a peace designer and former senior aide, Montesa provided guidance on the political and institutional establishment of the BARMM during its transition period under the CAB.