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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Marcos names Sarmiento as gov't chief for MILF peace process

Marcos names Sarmiento as gov't chief for MILF peace process

Published Jul 15, 2026 12:46 pm

At A Glance

  • President Marcos has appointed Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento as chairperson of the Government Peace Implementing Panel for the peace process with the MILF.
  • Sarmiento succeeds former peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., filling a key position that had remained vacant since April.
  • The appointment comes as the government and MILF seek to accelerate the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, including the normalization process and preparations for the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.
Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento (JEL SANTOS/MB PHOTO)
Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento (JEL SANTOS/MB PHOTO)

President Marcos has appointed Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento as chairperson of the Government Peace Implementing Panel for the government’s peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), filling a key post as both sides push to complete the implementation of their landmark peace agreement.

Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro announced Sarmiento’s designation during a press briefing on Wednesday, July 15, adding that Malacañang would release further details regarding the appointment.

Sarmiento currently heads the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), having been appointed by Marcos in April to replace retired Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., whose departure left the peace panel chairmanship vacant for several months.

As chairperson of the Government Peace Implementing Panel, Sarmiento will oversee the government’s implementation of the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the landmark accord that ended decades of armed conflict between the government and the MILF and paved the way for the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The peace process with the MILF has continued under successive administrations, with the focus shifting from negotiations to fulfilling the commitments under the signed agreement.

Among the remaining obligations under the CAB are the normalization process, including the decommissioning of remaining MILF combatants and their weapons, the transformation of former rebel camps into peaceful and productive communities, and the delivery of socio-economic assistance and development programs to former fighters and conflict-affected areas.

Sarmiento’s appointment comes as both the government and the MILF work to accelerate the implementation of the peace agreement after delays in completing several normalization commitments.

The appointment also comes as preparations continue for the first parliamentary elections in BARMM in September, which are expected to conclude the region’s transition period and pave the way for a fully elected Bangsamoro government.

Last week, Sarmiento said the government would appoint the chairperson of the peace implementing panel by July 15. The MILF, for its part, said it would lift its temporary pause on some aspects of the normalization process once the appointment was formalized.

Government and MILF officials have repeatedly reaffirmed their commitment to resolving remaining issues through dialogue and existing joint peace mechanisms, stressing that the gains of the peace process must be preserved.

Related Tags

President Marcos Bongbong Marcos MILF peace process Mel Senen Sarmiento Claire Castro
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