Bangsamoro peace process ‘on track’ but challenges remain —monitoring team

The Bangsamoro peace process is “fundamentally on track” but more work is still needed in the rehabilitation of Marawi, among other concerns, the Third Party Monitoring Team (TPMT) for the Bangsamoro Peace Process said Monday.

In its sixth public report covering March 2019 to October 2020, the five-man TPMT said there was “significant progress in establishing the Bangsamoro as an autonomous political entity.”

It welcomed the appointment of Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) parliament members, the formation of a Cabinet for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), the creation of an Inter-Governmental Relations Body, and the passage of the Bangsamoro Administrative Code.

“Political transitions such as these require commitment from a wide range of actors, and in this case the first 20 months of the transition have been remarkably smooth,” the TPMT said.

The monitoring team also lauded the “peaceful” normalization process, citing the decommissioning of 12,145 Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces (BIAF) combatants.

The national government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front were encouraged to provide packages of support to the combatants “in order to signal to the remaining BIAF forces that they can continue to trust the decommissioning process.”

‘Continuing challenges’

The TPMT said the BARMM was caught short-staffed when quarantine restrictions were imposed amid the coronavirus pandemic and stressed that “delays in recruitment will have flowthrough implications for the institutionalization of key changes.”

The BTA was also urged to exercise its full powers instead of being “restricted to approval of legislation drafted by the Executive or in Cabinet.”

“Many elements” of fiscal arrangements also need to be changed to reflect provisions of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, the TPMT said.

“There are also some examples of the national government implementing solutions and initiatives unilaterally,” it added.

“Establishment of an effective BARMM government will require both parties to collaborate, and acknowledge that neither can succeed without the full participation of the other.”

The TPMT also lamented the occurrence of regular clashes between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Mindanao, “occasional outbreaks” of local conflict in Lanao Del Sur, and encounters with the Abu Sayyaf Group in Sulu.

Marawi rehabilitation

The monitoring team also expressed concern with the “frustration and a lack of information among constituents” on the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City.

It said that Task Force Bangon Marawi was “becoming more of a stumbling block rather than a facilitator of transformation in the city,” noting that rehabilitation plans were prepared without the participation of affected residents.

The TPMT also said stakeholders were concerned about the announcement of a new AFP base in Marawi that was reportedly decided upon without consulting the Bangsamoro Government.

“For three years, a large portion of the citizens of Marawi have been removed from their homes and their history. Despite many promises, the rehabilitation of the city and return of citizens to the most-affected area has no clear end date,” it said.

Formed in 2013, the TPMT is led by its chairman Heino Marius and composed of Karen Tañada, Hüseyin Oruc, Dr. Rahib L. Kudto, and Sam Chittick.

Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said President Rodrigo Duterte was open to the possible extension of the Bangsamoro transition period due to “difficulties” in achieving normalization in the BARMM. 

Measures seeking to extend the term of the BTA for three more years have been filed at the House of Representatives. —Julia Mari Ornedo/LDF, GMA News