OPAPRU reaffirms non-interference in Bangsamoro Parliament leadership selection

The national government will respect the Bangsamoro Parliament’s authority to choose its leadership and will not intervene in the process, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) said Monday, reaffirming President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s commitment to Bangsamoro autonomy.

In a statement dated 19 October, Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Mel Senen S. Sarmiento said the administration stands firmly behind the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), which recognizes the Bangsamoro people’s right to self-determination and meaningful autonomy.

Sarmiento’s statement reiterated Marcos’ 14 October declaration that the national government respects the democratic institutions of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), including the Parliament’s authority to determine its leadership in accordance with the BOL.

The President made the declaration following the announcement of a 46-member majority coalition in the Bangsamoro Parliament, saying the national government would work with the government formally constituted by the regional legislature to advance peace, stability and inclusive development.

The OPAPRU said the selection of regional leaders remains an internal matter of the Bangsamoro Parliament, stressing that the national government would not interfere in the process.

Once the Parliament has formally selected its leaders and constituted the Government of the Day, Marcos intends to reach out to political parties across the region to encourage cooperation in advancing BARMM’s development, Sarmiento said.

The planned engagement is intended to promote unity and statesmanship among regional political leaders, as well as cooperation in building a more progressive autonomous region, according to the OPAPRU.

Sarmiento said a stable and economically thriving BARMM is essential not only to Mindanao’s socioeconomic transformation but also to the sustained growth of the Philippine economy.

He added that lasting national stability depends on inclusive development that ensures no region is left behind and allows communities to benefit from peace and economic progress.

Beyond the formation of the regional government, the OPAPRU said the administration would renew its focus on implementing the Normalization Track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) as the agreement’s Political Track approaches maturity.

The Normalization Track includes efforts to complete the decommissioning of remaining Moro Islamic Liberation Front combatants and accelerate the dismantling of private armed groups, both considered important to strengthening security and sustaining the peace process.

The administration also hopes to advance the peace-building and transformation efforts with the Moro National Liberation Front, Sarmiento said.

These efforts form part of the government’s broader objective of consolidating gains from the peace process and ensuring that political developments in BARMM translate into greater stability and improved conditions for communities across Mindanao.

The OPAPRU stressed that the Marcos administration ultimately aims to leave behind a stable and progressive Bangsamoro region and a peaceful Mindanao that can continue contributing to the country’s economic growth beyond the current administration.