The top British diplomat in Manila has cited the importance of high-level political participation and inclusiveness in the success of the peace process in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“The strength of this political process rests on high-level political participation and the inclusive systems that are being established. I hope, through our work with the BARMM authorities, we are able to make our contribution to achieving that,” British Ambassador to the Philippines Daniel Pruce said during the recent “Bangsamoro & Beyond” forum.
BARMM was created through the signing of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) in 2018 and its subsequent ratification by a plebiscite in January and February 2019.
BARMM Minister of Education Mohagher Iqbal highlighted the “normalization track” as one of the most important aspects in the implementation of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB).
He was referring to the decommissioning of the 40,000 members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) where he is also the Implementing Panel Chair.
“We have hurdled the most difficult and the most arduous part of the search for peace and justice in Mindanao, and we are now in the implementing stage,” Iqbal said, adding that the interim Bangsamoro administration is also requesting to extend the transition up to 2025 to ensure the success of the peace process.
By normalizing the situation in Mindanao, Iqbal said the life of each combatant has to be transformed from a combat life into a productive civilian life and at the same time achieve peace, justice, and development in Mindanao.
Iqbal participated in a forum backed by The Asia Foundation and British Embassy in Manila, in partnership with BARMM and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP).
The policy forum, which was jointly organized by The Asia Foundation and the British Embassy, was convened to strengthen community engagement in the Bangsamoro through public awareness campaigns about the new parliamentary system and voting rights. Participants included members of underrepresented groups such as women, youth, and non-Moro indigenous peoples which have reserved seats in the Bangsamoro parliament that is composed of 80 representatives.
The reserved seats, according to Social Services Minister Raissa Jajurie, will allow “vulnerable sectors” such as the non-Moro indigenous peoples, settler communities, youth, women, traditional leaders, and the ulama to be part of the parliament.
Lawyer Laisa Alamia, a member and Minority Floor Leader of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), spoke about ensuring women's rights that are enshrined in the provisions of the BOL.
Maguindanaon youth leader Suwaidi Ebrahim, for his part, said it is important to have a representation of the underrepresented sectors since they are the most knowledgeable about their needs as a sector.
Others who raised their platforms in the forum were Reymon Tenorio of the United Indigenous Peoples Youth Organization (UNIPYO) and BTA member Nabil Tan who spoke about the need to extend the transition period.