BARMM chief ‘stands firm’ on peace deal; rallies support for Marcos

Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim —PHOTO COURTESY OF BANGSAMORO INFORMATION OFFICE

COTABATO CITY — The top official of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) has called for strengthened support behind the administration of President Marcos for the sake of peace in the region.

“Let us continue to support the current administration and allow peace and civility to reign over the affairs of our land,” BARMM interim Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim said in a statement on Friday.

Although Ebrahim did not mention it, the statement came on the heels of the recent call by former President Duterte for Mindanao to secede from the country, an idea born out of his political tirades against President Marcos.

“As Chief Minister of the Bangsamoro Government, I stand firmly on adhering to the faithful implementation of the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) towards the right to self-determination,” said Ebrahim, who is also chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that waged four decades of rebellion in Mindanao.

The CAB, which was signed in 2014 after 17 years of negotiations, embodies the Moro people’s “aspiration to chart our political future through a democratic process that will secure our identity and posterity, and allow for meaningful self-governance,” Ebrahim explained.

“Although more has yet to be done, Parties to the CAB have made great strides in the implementation of its components that are ultimately beneficial to the Bangsamoro people… We, therefore, urge everyone to help protect the gains of the peace processes,” Ebrahim added.

Mindanao secessionism could be traced to the demand by Moro leaders back in 1935 for the United States not to include Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago in the political entity that it will grant independence.

The struggle found renewed vigor in 1968 with the founding of the Mindanao Independence Movement (MIM), led by Moro leader Udtog Matalam. But it was overshadowed by the rebellion—first by the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and then the MILF—aiming to carve a separate state for the Bangsamoro people.

The MIM’s ideals were continued by former Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Reuben Canoy, who was briefly held by authorities in 1990 for alleged links to the so-called Mindanao uprising launched by then Colonel Alexander Noble.

“We cannot afford to go back to square one,” said Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr., in reaction to Duterte’s call, adding that a return to such an era of the region’s history could reset its development.

“Mindanao has already shed its image as a land of volatility, violence and armed struggle. It has now become a symbol of hope, mutual understanding and solidarity, and most of all, a shining example that good things come to those who choose the path of peace,” Galvez said in a statement on Friday.