The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) said on Sunday, Oct. 13, that religious leaders from various faiths appealed to authorities for the re-inclusion of the province of Sulu in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to “safeguard the gains achieved under the Bangsamoro peace process.” 

Representatives from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), and the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC) made the call during the Mindanao Religious Leaders Conference (MiRLeC) in Davao City last week.

The conference which carried the theme, “Revitalizing Interfaith Engagement: Mindanao Religious Leaders Assembly”, highlighted the crucial role of the religious community in promoting a culture of peace, mutual understanding, and justice across the island region.

“We call for the re-inclusion of Sulu in the BARMM to ensure greater inclusivity and unity in the region,” the religious leaders said in a statement shared by the OPAPRU.

To recall, the Supreme Court (SC) upheld the validity of Republic Act No. 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) last month but it excluded Sulu from BARMM after the province rejected the law’s ratification. Enacted in 2018, the BOL provided for the establishment of BARMM as a political entity and its corresponding basic governmental structure.

Roman Catholic Bishop Edwin A. de la Peña, MSP, DD, one of the conveners of the conference, stressed the urgency among religious leaders to move forward in their collective peace journey. 

He recalled that following the bombing incident at the Mindanao State University in Marawi in December last year, religious leaders recognized the urgent need for a swift and unified response. 

“We have come full circle. And we are here to bring about our desire for preserving the gains of the peace process,” de la Peña said.

In his remarks at the conference, Galvez underscored the significance of interfaith collaboration in building on the gains of the peace process.

He highlighted the invaluable role of religious leaders in promoting peace and social healing, noting that through their teachings, they have helped shape a moral compass that guides communities toward empathy, kindness, and forgiveness.

The peace adviser called on the religious leaders to play a more active role in advancing the peace process, particularly in realizing the commitments made under the Bangsamoro peace agreements.

“As the national government fulfills its commitments under all signed peace agreements, we believe that our religious leaders can play a more active role in realizing these commitments,” he said. 

“We must remember that the path to a sustainable and inclusive peace is a shared one that must be pursued together,” he added.