Monitoring team seeks swift resolution on proposed Bangsamoro Transition Authority extension

Extending the tenure of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) or otherwise should be decided as soon as possible, according to a third party monitoring team (TPMT) on the implementation of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

The TPMT, which is tasked with regularly monitoring the implementation of the peace agreements signed between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), issued the statement amid pending proposals in Congress seeking to extend the BTA's mandate until regional elections in 2025.

The BTA is only supposed to govern the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) until regional elections are held in May 2022, coinciding with the national elections.

BARMM was created in January 2019 after the "yes" vote won in a plebiscite to create the new region with over a million votes against around 194,000 "no" votes.

"The TPMT believes that it would be of benefit to the peace process if the issue of extension could be resolved swiftly in the coming days in the interest of predictability and clarity on the way ahead," the TPMT said in a statement.

While the TPMT did not express position on whether BTA's tenure should be extended or not, it noted that the timeframe in the BOL for creating the BARMM was very ambitious from the start compared with international experiences for transitions to peace and given the COVID-19 pandemic.

"It would exceed the mandate of the TPMT to come forward with a position on whether or not an extension of the transition period is justified, this decision is up to the elected representatives of the Filipino people," it said.

"The BARMM is faced with a complex task of establishing an autonomous political entity which should not be underestimated. The constraints imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic have considerably added to the challenges," it added.

The TPMT also said that the position of peace adviser Carlito Galvez and Chief Minister Ebrahim of the BARMM favoring extension of BTA before a regional election in 2025 carries weight alongside the active discussion among the public and civil society in the Bangsamoro on the extension and the petition of more than one million signatures in support of the extension.

"It has taken many years of dedicated effort and intense negotiations, of setbacks and advances to arrive at where we are today. The Filipino people can be proud of what has been achieved. The peace process is now at a critical juncture, as bringing an end to five decades of this conflict has come within close reach," it said.

"Realizing those dreams will require all partners to the peace process to continue to demonstrate the commitment, perseverance and patience which has achieved so much to this point," it added. —KBK, GMA News