MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Wednesday that the national government is on the right path to build a more “peaceful, stable, and prosperous” Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Mindanao over five years after its establishment.
“I am confident that we are on the right path to building a more peaceful, stable, and prosperous Bangsamoro Region, as we find responsive solutions to the remaining issues and concerns that still need to be addressed,” Marcos said.
While addressing the turnover of the 3rd Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) Progress Report at Malacañang, where “significant achievements” for the BARMM were highlighted, including the commissioning of former Moro rebels to the national police force, granting of amnesties to qualified former Moro combatants and government turnover of several properties and assets within the region.
Marcos referred to the report as a “testament” to enduring peace and commitment to the BARMM.
“These peace and development milestones are part of our collective efforts to lay the groundwork for effective governance and a meaningful autonomy environment,” Marcos said.
Over 3,600 former rebels mostly in Mindanao await amnesty in March after the Senate approved the chief executive’s amnesty initiative, while the Department of Interior and Local Government reported in 2023 that a total of 294 former Moro rebels have become part of the Philippine National Police.
The largest group receiving amnesty is the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), founded by former governor Nur Misuari of the former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The MNLF represents 55 percent of the total amnesty recipients.
The Office of the Presidential Peace Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity reported that around 2,000 former MNLF rebels will benefit from the program, along with 1,200 from the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB), and 400 from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
BARMM was established in 2019 to fulfill the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people for meaningful autonomy through the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which also defined its basic governance structure.
