Palace: Mel Sarmiento's appointment as OPAPRU chief vital for Bangsamoro polls

Malacañang on Tuesday said the appointment of Mel Senen Sarmiento as Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity is significant in the upcoming Bangsamoro elections.

In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro announced that Sarmiento would replace Carlito Galvez Jr., noting that his appointment marks a natural progression of the country's peace work.

''This is especially vital in the Bangsamoro as it moves toward its first parliamentary elections and the full realization of the Comprehensive Agreement, and Secretary Sarmiento's background in local government and public administration equips him well for the task,'' Castro said.

Castro said the peace process enters a phase that calls for civilian leadership, which is centered on reconciliation, local governance, and socio-economic reintegration.

Sarmiento served as Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government under the Aquino administration.

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. last month signed the law resetting the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to September 14, 2026.

Republic Act 12317 stated that “the first regular election for the Bangsamoro Government under this Organic Law shall be held on the second Monday of September 2026.”

To synchronize the BARMM parliamentary elections with the national and local elections, succeeding BARMM elections will be held on the second Monday of May 2031 and every three years thereafter.

The first elected BARMM officials will serve a five-year term starting from noon of October 30, 2026 to noon of June 30, 2031.

Meanwhile, Sarmiento said that under his leadership, OPAPRU will prioritize the pursuit of sustainable and inclusive peace, particularly in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), while ensuring that the gains of all peace agreements signed the by government in the past are “preserved, strengthened, and fully implemented.”

“We will continue to advance a whole-of-nation approach in addressing internal armed conflict, working closely with local government units as frontliners of peacebuilding and development in their respective communities,” he said.

“Ultimately, our efforts are anchored on uniting as one nation in achieving our shared aspirations under Ambisyon Natin 2040, a peaceful, secure, and prosperous Philippines for all Filipinos,” he added. — BAP, GMA News