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30April
MILF urges civilian-led implementation of Bangsamoro deal
- Apr 30, 2026
- Al Iskandar
- HITS: 265
Mohagher Iqbal, the MILF's peace implementing panel chair and chief negotiator, made the statement as his group welcomed the appointment of Mel Senen Sarmiento as the new head of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU).
"This is civilian work," Iqbal said. "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."
Sarmiento steps into the role following the immediate resignation of Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier this week. A seasoned public servant, Sarmiento previously served as congressman of Samar's first district, mayor and vice mayor of Calbayog City, and secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government — a background Iqbal says fits the moment.
While Iqbal credited Galvez's tenure with historic milestones — including the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law and early rounds of combatant decommissioning — he acknowledged that significant work remains unfinished. The MILF suspended the decommissioning of 14,000 combatants in July 2025 and paused aspects of its government engagement in March 2026, citing leadership uncertainties on the government's side of the peace panel.
With Sarmiento now at the helm, Iqbal said the MILF sees a window to restore momentum. He described the remaining tasks as "the harder, less visible work" of institution-building and service delivery — efforts he argued are just as critical as the foundational agreements already secured.
The group is calling for direct, sustained engagement with the new OPAPRU leadership, insisting that the final stretch of the peace process cannot succeed through parallel, disconnected efforts.
"The work ahead requires partnership, not parallel processes," Iqbal said.
Among the MILF's stated priorities: completing the normalization process, bolstering fiscal and governance capacity in BARMM, ensuring credible parliamentary elections, and channeling development to communities long scarred by conflict.
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