Marcos appoints Mel Sarmiento as head of gov’t peace implementing panel for Bangsamoro

MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento as the head of the Philippine government peace implementing panel for the Bangsamoro peace process, Malacañang announced Wednesday, July 15.

With this new role, Sarmiento is now the counterpart of Mohagher Iqbal, the head of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace implementing panel.

Sarmiento retains his position as chief of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity. These concurrent roles pose a challenge but provide “a seamless alignment,” Sarmiento said in a statement Wednesday.

“The President’s guidance is crystal clear: the Marcos administration will double its efforts in implementing the landmark and historic Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro,” Sarmiento said. “We remain unyielding in our commitments to the milestones achieved with the MILF.”

The appointment of MILF’s counterpart was long-awaited, following the resignation of former chairman Cesar Yano. Sarmiento’s new role comes two months before the conduct of the historic first parliamentary election in the Bangsamoro happening in September.

Prior to the announcement, Sarmiento himself had told reporters that a new chairman of the peace implementing panel would be announced soon.

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– Rappler.com