Marcos on goal to end armed conflict in Mindanao: ‘Much needs to be done’

UNDER ONE ROOF Past and present leaders of major Moro groups welcome President Marcos
during the inaugural session of the Bangsamoro Transitional Authority (BTA) in Cotabato City, 50
years after they waged a rebellion against his father’s regime. The event brought together two Moro
National Liberation Front factions led by Nur Misuari and Muslimin Sema and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front led by BTA’s Chief Minister Ahod “Al Haj Murad” Ebrahim. (FILE PHOTO FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT dated Sept. 16, 2022)

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said that while much has been done to advance the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), more work remains to be done.

In a Facebook reel posted Wednesday night, Marcos reiterated that the government is committed to enacting the CAB as it celebrated its 10th anniversary.

The CAB is an agreement between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the national government to end its armed conflict.

READ: What is the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro?

“There were certainly many challenges, but we persevered. Today, as your president, I stand before you, committed to fulfilling that promise. We have achieved progress, and much needs to be done,” said Marcos.

“Together, we are already enacting vital legislation, ensuring fair elections in 2025, and empowering the Bangsamoro to chart your own prosperous future,” he noted.

“This is our legacy. Let us build it together,” he added.

READ: Marcos vows to work for prosperity in BARMM

Marcos recounted that he was one of the legislators who participated in the drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

“A decade ago, the comprehensive agreement on Bangsamoro lit up our hopes for peace. As a legislator, I proudly participated in drafting the Bangsamoro Basic Law, recognizing the importance of inclusivity and respect for diverse cultures,” said Marcos.

READ: BBL is dead, says Bongbong Marcos

In 2015, the then-senator Marcos called the proposed measure dead as Congress ran out of time to pass it during the last year of former president Benigno Aquino III’s term.

The BBL was eventually passed and signed into law during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte.