President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento as the new chairperson of the Government of the Philippines Peace Implementing Panel (GPH-PIP) for the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Sarmiento succeeded former panel chair Cesar Yano, a former military chief, in leading the government's efforts to carry out the remaining commitments under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the 2014 peace deal that led to the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) and its interim government, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).

Accepting the appointment, Sarmiento thanked Marcos for entrusting him with another key role in the peace process.

“Today, I humbly accept my appointment as the chairperson of the Government Peace Implementing Panel for the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front,” Sarmiento said in a statement on Wednesday, July 15.

“I express my deepest gratitude to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for the trust and confidence he has placed in me,” he added.

Sarmiento was appointed presidential peace adviser on April 22, and his designation as peace panel chair places both positions under one official as the administration pushes for the implementation of the CAB.

“Serving as the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity while concurrently leading the government's peace panel is indeed a big challenge, but it provides seamless alignment,” he said.

“These roles will complement one another as we accelerate our collective quest to advance the Bangsamoro peace process,” he noted.

Sarmiento said Marcos has directed the administration to intensify efforts to fulfill the government's commitments under the landmark peace agreement.

“The President's guidance is crystal clear. The Marcos administration will double its efforts in implementing the landmark and historic Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. We remain unyielding in our commitments to the milestones achieved with the MILF,” he said.

He also pledged to work closely with the MILF leadership to complete the remaining obligations under the peace accord.

“I look forward to working closely and constructively with my counterparts in the MILF to ensure a productive, collaborative, transparent, and time-bound implementation of the remaining commitments of the CAB,” the peace adviser said.

Meanwhile, Sarmiento appealed for continued support from the Bangsamoro people and the government's local and international peace partners as the peace process moves forward.

“To the Bangsamoro people and our vital local and international peace partners, your unwavering support is the bedrock of this journey. I appeal for your continued, steadfast commitment as we walk this path together, shepherding lasting and inclusive peace under Bagong Pilipinas,” he said.

Before joining the Marcos administration, Sarmiento served as a three-term mayor, a member of the House of Representatives, and secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Since taking over as presidential peace adviser, he has promoted the concept of “shared value,” which seeks to ensure that all sectors benefit from peace and development.

He has also committed to delivering the national government's obligations under all signed Bangsamoro peace agreements, particularly the CAB.