COTABATO CITY -- Implementation of the 2014 peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) requires a shift toward civilian governance and institutional coordination, a senior MILF official said following the appointment of a new presidential peace adviser.
Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the MILF Peace Implementing Panel, welcomed the appointment of Mel Senen Sarmiento as the new head of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU).
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Sarmiento to succeed Carlito Galvez Jr., whose resignation took effect earlier this week.
Iqbal said the next phase of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) is “civilian work” that necessitates governance experience rather than purely security-oriented strategies.
“It requires the kind of governance experience that Secretary Sarmiento brings — his understanding of municipal administration, regional development coordination, and national government-BARMM intergovernmental work,” Iqbal said.
Sarmiento is a veteran public servant who previously served as secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government. He also served as a congressman for Samar and as the mayor and vice mayor of Calbayog City.
The MILF, which signed the landmark peace deal with the Philippine government in 2014, said Sarmiento’s background aligns with current demands for normalization and development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
While foundational milestones such as the Bangsamoro Organic Law were achieved under Galvez’s tenure, Iqbal noted that “the harder, less visible work” of building institutions remains.
The transition comes at a delicate time for the peace process.
The MILF suspended the decommissioning of 14,000 combatants in July 2025 and paused portions of its engagement with the government in March 2026 while awaiting leadership changes on the government’s peace panel.
With Sarmiento now at the helm, Iqbal said the MILF sees an opportunity to resume momentum.
“The Bangsamoro’s future depends on whether we finish what we started,” Iqbal said. “The MILF stands ready to contribute fully to that work.”
Iqbal identified several priorities for the final phase of the agreement, including strengthening fiscal capacity in the BARMM, ensuring credible parliamentary elections, and delivering development to communities affected by years of conflict.
“The work ahead requires partnership, not parallel processes,” he said.