Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah (front L) and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen (2nd R) arrive for the opening ceremony of the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summits in Phnom Penh on November 11, 2022. (Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP)
PHNOM PENH—The Sultan of Brunei has pledged to continue supporting the Philippines’ efforts to maintain peace and stability in Mindanao.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah made the commitment on Saturday when he met President Marcos for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the 40th and 41st Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summits here.
“We will continue to support your government’s efforts in ensuring peace and stability through various initiatives in southern Philippines including our participation in the unification and modification assistance,” the Sultan assured Mr. Marcos. Brunei is part of the International Monitoring Team and the independent decommissioning body in the Mindanao peace process.
In response, the Chief Executive recognized the role that the Brunei sultanate played in the peace process, which he said has been proceeding despite challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m happy to be able to inform Your Majesty that the peace process is proceeding along, although we have extended the Transition Authority for another three years simply because they were unable to do their job during the pandemic,” the President said.
1st time at Asean summit
He added: “This process—the negotiations between the Bangsamoro and our Muslim brothers and sisters began in 1976—I believe, is the fruition of that. And we are very happy.”
Bolkiah was one of six state leaders that the President met for bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Asean Summits here, which closed on Sunday noon. It was Mr. Marcos’ first time to attend the Asean Summits since he assumed office earlier this year.
On his first day in Cambodia, Mr. Marcos held bilateral meetings with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen.
On Saturday, he held bilateral talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Bolkiah.
On Sunday, Mr. Marcos was scheduled to sit down for bilateral meetings with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the European Union.
The Chief Executive also had brief conversations with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on the sidelines of the Asean Plus Three Summit on Saturday.
Years of hard work
In his bilateral meeting with Brunei, the President informed Bolkiah of a parliamentary election in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao in 2025.
Mr. Marcos expressed optimism that the Bangsamoro region will have a functioning autonomous government as the result of many years of hard work to achieve peace in Mindanao.
The President also told the Brunei Sultan that he is glad that the Philippines was able to be of help to Brunei’s health-care system, especially at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are very proud of our health-care workers, especially during the pandemic where worldwide they have been recognized as they are, for their competence and for their sacrifices.” INQ
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