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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider BARMM election, MILF decommissioning top agenda as new OPAPRU officials take oath

BARMM election, MILF decommissioning top agenda as new OPAPRU officials take oath

Published Jun 13, 2026 10:24 am

At A Glance

  • Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento administered the oath of office to Deputy Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Undersecretary Jonathan Ferdinand Miano, Presidential Assistant I on Bangsamoro Transformation Noel Alvarez Baraceros, Presidential Assistant I on Internal Management Gefer Refamonte Mancol, and Director Basil Castaño last June 8.
Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento administers the oath of office to Deputy Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Undersecretary Jonathan Ferdinand Miano, Presidential Assistant I on Bangsamoro Transformation Noel Alvarez Baraceros, Presidential Assistant I on Internal Management Gefer Refamonte Mancol, and Director Basil Castaño on June 8, 2026. (Courtesy of OPAPRU)
Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento administers the oath of office to Deputy Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Undersecretary Jonathan Ferdinand Miano, Presidential Assistant I on Bangsamoro Transformation Noel Alvarez Baraceros, Presidential Assistant I on Internal Management Gefer Refamonte Mancol, and Director Basil Castaño on June 8, 2026. (Courtesy of OPAPRU)
Preparations for the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro region and the continuation of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front's (MILF) decommissioning process are among the immediate priorities facing newly appointed officials of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), according to Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento.
Sarmiento administered the oath of office to Deputy Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Undersecretary Jonathan Ferdinand Miano, Presidential Assistant I on Bangsamoro Transformation Noel Alvarez Baraceros, Presidential Assistant I on Internal Management Gefer Refamonte Mancol, and Director Basil Castaño last June 8.
The peace adviser welcomed the support of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Implementing Panel chair Mohagher Iqbal for the agency's new appointees.
“With the same enthusiasm, we look forward to working closely with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Peace Implementing Panel and all relevant stakeholders in advancing the catch-up plan and continuing the implementation of the decommissioning process, in line with the Normalization Track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro,” Sarmiento said in a statement issued on Friday, June 12.
He said the new officials bring extensive experience in public service that would help advance the government's comprehensive peace agenda especially as OPAPRU continues to intensify efforts to sustain gains achieved under the peace agreement between the government and the MILF, which ended decades of armed conflict in Mindanao and paved the way for the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The decommissioning process hit a snag last year after the MILF suspended the final phase covering 14,000 remaining combatants and 2,450 firearms. The group said the government had yet to substantially fulfill commitments under the normalization track of the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB).
The normalization track is one of the key components of the 2014 CAB, which includes the gradual decommissioning of MILF combatants and weapons in exchange for political and socio-economic reforms intended to sustain peace in the region.
The government disputed the claim, saying billions of pesos worth of assistance and development programs had already been delivered.
Further, Sarmiento said the new appointments were crucial as BARMM also prepares for its first parliamentary polls following years of political transition under the CAB, underscoring the importance of the upcoming polls as it will mark the end of the region's transition period and the installation of elected parliamentary leaders.
“We join the aspiration for a peaceful, credible, and meaningful first parliamentary election in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao that reflects the voice and will of the people. The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) looks forward to working with the duly elected members of the Parliament after the transition period, regardless of political affiliation, as we continue to support inclusive governance, accelerate economic and development growth, and promote the welfare of the Bangsamoro people,” he noted.
“Together, we envision the Bangsamoro region contributing meaningfully to the country's broader development agenda and the aspirations of AmBisyon Natin 2040, towards a more peaceful, inclusive, and prosperous Philippines,” he added.
The first regular BARMM parliamentary election is scheduled for September 14, after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 12317 in March, resetting the polls from the earlier March 30 schedule.

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