President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has reiterated his call to the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to "pass all crucial" laws that will secure the welfare of the people of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
"I urge you to pass all the crucial legislations on fiscal policy, particularly taxation, and to facilitate the conduct of the elections in the BARMM in 2025," Marcos said as he graced the ceremonial opening of the session of the BTA in Cotabato City on Thursday, Sept. 15.
The President further encouraged the body to pass measures that will secure the welfare of the Moro people particularly in agri-fishery, healthcare, transportation, communication, digital infrastructure, and e-governance.
He said this as he noted that the government, through the Department of Budget and Management (DBM, has allocated P74.4 billion for the Bangsamoro region fiscal year 2023. This, he said, would ensure that the BTA could deliver its commitments to the people of BARMM.
During his speech, the Chief Executive also pledged his administration's full support to the peace process and to the BARMM.
"As your President, I assure you, the BTA and all the Bangsamoro people, of this administration’s full and unwavering commitment to the peace process and to BARMM," he said.
He stated that the diverse representation of the new BTA composition "speaks volumes of your answer towards that call for unity, of shared responsibility, and the invitation to advocate peace and development in the Bangsamoro region."
"The path to lasting peace is always under construction. But we walk this path together and we walk it, not because it is an easy one," he said.
"We walk this path together because even if it is difficult, we know that at the end of the journey is historical justice, progress, peace, stability, and the unity that our peoples and our nation have long aspired for and so rightly deserve," he added.
In August 2022, Marcos led the oath taking of the new officials of the BTA held in Malacañang.
He also made a pronouncement that "there will no longer be any extensions" in the conduct of BARMM elections in 2025.