Presidential peace process adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. on Friday, May 14, warned legislators that pushing through with elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) next year could lead to more attacks and division among its residents.
Galvez appealed to senators to pass a law that would defer the BARMM elections to 2025 as he linked the polls to the recent attack of suspected members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighter (BIFF) in Datu Paglas, Maguindanao.
"Your honors, nakita po natin na 'pag nagkaroon po ng eleksyon, magkakaroon po ng malaking division (we see that if we have an elections, there could be a great division of the region). At nakikita natin (And we see that), if you look at the history of the Marawi crisis, ang nangyari po talaga doon ay (what happened there) basically, it appears that the lesson learned is that, the BIFF and the terrorist group might use the elections to create much divisions and rido (feud between clans) in the midst of the Bangsamoro," Galvez said during the resumption of the Senate local government committee's hearing on the proposal to postpone the BARMM elections.
The peace process adviser, who also serves as the country's vaccine czar amid the pandemic, said the BIFF could have taken advantage of the impacts of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
"We failed to consider the impact of the COVID-19," Galvez admitted when asked by Senator Francis Tolentino, committee chairman, if the attack was related to the transition of the Bangsamoro government or resulted from a failure of intelligence.
"As we all know, during the COVID-19, maraming pong nagsara ng mga tinatawag nating mga plantations (several plantations have closed), at the same time, it restricts people from doing things and also...their livelihood. Because of the situation, many people now are on the verge of hunger, madali po silang marecruit ng BIFF (they can be easily recruited by the BIFF)," he said.
"It's not a failure of intelligence but basically it is a congruent of yong tinatawag nating (what we call as) disabling conditions in the Bangsamoro to proceed," Galvez told Tolentino.
Postponing the BARMM elections, he said, will help defuse tension in the region and address the spate of armed attacks in areas of Maguindanao.
Last Saturday, May 8, about 100 heavily-armed BIFF fighter attempted to occupy of a public market in Datu Paglas. The market was eventually cleared of the terrorists.
At least four of Islamic State (IS)-linked terrorists were killed in clashes with government troops following the attack.
"If the Bangsamoro people feel presence of the committed, stable...BARMM government, there will be no reason for them to bear arms and carry out these attacks. I believe with the good transitions, we can entice the BIFF and other terrorist groups to return to the fold of the law as we have, we are now doing in Sulu province and also in Lanao and Basilan," Galvez appealed to lawmakers.
"The BARMM government extension will provide a greater sense of security and stability in the Bangsamoro, and enable us to sustain the gains of peace in the region," he pointed out.
Under the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) which created the BARMM, elections must take place at the same time as national and local elections in May, 2022.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, two Senate bills have been filed to extend the transition period of the Bangsamoro government and defer its first regular election to 2025, also synchronized with the national elections.
Some senators, however, raised the concern that such a "long" deferment would also delay development in the BARMM.