The Bangsamoro peace deal is back in focus in the Muslim-majority south of the Philippines. Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim has asked President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for a meeting on implementing the agreement, PhilNews24 reported on Saturday.
Bangsamoro peace deal on the agenda
In a letter dated Oct. 1, Ebrahim said the meeting would reaffirm the MILF’s commitment to peace, address outstanding concerns and identify steps to implement the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the Bangsamoro Organic Law. He stressed the need to advance normalization, including decommissioning MILF combatants and delivering government assistance to former fighters and conflict-affected communities, and sought support to improve peace and order and coordination with Bangsamoro institutions.
First elected parliament
According to the official Bangsamoro government website, 2,018,478 voters took part in the region’s first parliamentary elections on Sept. 14, an 84.34 percent turnout. The 80 newly elected members will assume office on Oct. 30 and elect the region’s chief minister.
The Inquirer reported that the Bangsamoro Federalist Party claimed the support of 46 of the 80 members, but MILF Vice Chairman Mohagher Iqbal dismissed this as “more a matter of optics than political reality,” saying the final shape would emerge only in the Oct. 30 vote.
Sources: PhilNews24, Bangsamoro Government, Inquirer
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