Bangsamoro group urges Marcos, MILF to complete peace process

MANILA, Philippines — Several organizations from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) urged President Marcos and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim to complete the peace process before the 50th Tripoli Agreement anniversary.

In an issued manifesto, the 10-signatory organization called on Marcos to complete decommissioning and sign the exit agreement within his term.

“The peace process began under President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. with the Tripoli Agreement in 1976. On Dec. 23, 2026, it turns 50. History has handed his son the chance to finish it,” the group said in a statement.

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Moreover, they urged Marcos to meet chair Murad before the new BARMM parliament formally convenes.

The inaugural session of the BARMM Parliament is set for Oct. 30, when it will elect the chief minister and parliamentary officials.

“That is their right; it is how democracy works. But no coalition is bigger than the peace agreement that made this Parliament possible,” they said.

They further emphasized, “Its unfinished business must come first.”

The group also asked the President to agree on a completion roadmap with a clear timeline and ensure that the fifty-year peace pact is accomplished by Dec. 23.

“The Bangsamoro now has an elected parliament. The Palace itself has tied normalization to an elected government. That step is done. What remains is the last: completing decommissioning, delivering the promised packages to former combatants and their families, transforming the camps, and signing the Exit Agreement,” the group expressed. /cb