MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s sustained implementation of Bangsamoro peace agreements helped pave the way for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to complete its transition from armed struggle to democratic political participation, Malacañang said on the eve of the Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.
Datu Michael Mastura, a former senior member of the MILF panel in peace negotiations with the government, lauded the group’s participation in the historic parliamentary elections.
“The important thing is that they (MILF) are seeking legitimacy. So, let us welcome them to the electoral process,” Mastura said in an interview.
“They have to know how to transition from an armed conflict group to a party seeking seats in a parliament, in a voting-rights way,” said Mastura, a former deputy minister for the Office of Muslim Affairs.
“I am very happy that they have accepted it. Finally, we have the go-signal on Monday, Sept. 14,” said Mastura, who also served as a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention.
Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento on Sunday urged voters in Muslim Mindanao to exercise their right to participate in the first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.
Sarmiento said the political activity "will mark a new chapter in their history."
"I appeal to all candidates, parties, and supporters to honor the will of the people and to keep tomorrow's elections safe, peaceful, and credible," Sarmiento said in a statement.
He said that as President Marcos Jr. has declared, the people's participation in the electoral process is "the clearest sign that they have [taken] the path of choosing the political process over picking up their weapons, to bring peace, and hopefully, progress to the region."
The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, Republic Act 11054, or the Bangsamoro Organic Law, and the Bangsamoro Electoral Code paved the way for the conduct of the elections.
"Beyond these landmark agreements are the tangible gains of the Bangsamoro peace process: a ceasefire that has held firm, thousands of former combatants and their weapons peacefully decommissioned, and sustained development reaching communities long affected by conflict," he said.
The first BARMM parliamentary elections would "complete the political track of the peace process," Sarmiento said.
"The time has now come for the people to establish and own the government they rightfully deserve," he added.
The September 14 elections represent a major milestone in a peace process spanning half a century of negotiations, armed conflict, political upheavals and constitutional challenges in the search for a peaceful settlement of the Moro struggle.
The Tripoli Agreement was signed on December 23, 1976, during the administration of then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., with Libya and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation helping facilitate negotiations between the Philippine government and the Moro National Liberation Front.
Under the Marcos Jr. administration, the national government has sought to advance both the political and normalization tracks of the Bangsamoro peace process, including the transition of the MILF from a revolutionary organization into an active participant in parliamentary democracy.
