Bangsamoro leaders hail Pnoy Aquino for role in Mindanao peace

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY––Leaders of the Bangsamoro administration paid tribute to former president Benigno Aquino III for laying the foundation for lasting peace in the region and Mindanao.

In a statement, Bangsamoro interim chief minister Ahod ‘Al-Haj Murad’ Ebrahim said Aquino “played a vital role in the Bangsamoro peace process.”

Ebrahim is also chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that forged a peace deal with the government under Aquino’s watch in 2014.

“The sincerity of his administration was highlighted when we met in Narita, Japan on August 4, 2011,” Ebrahim said.

“Because of the confidence by both parties in the peace process during his term, we saw the eventual signing of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro–documents that would pave the way to the foundations of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM),” Ebrahim added.

The interim BARMM parliament passed a resolution Thursday honoring Aquino’s contributions to the peace and development of the region.

“The Bangsamoro peace process had its breakthrough because of his commitment to finding a solution to the war in Mindanao,” the resolution read.

Ryan D. Rosauro

LZB