CBCP calls on newly-elected BARMM execs to deepen dialogue, strengthen peace efforts

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has called on the newly-elected parliament members of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to deepen dialogue and strengthen peace efforts in the region following its first parliamentary elections.

Citing Pope Leo XIV's encyclical letter "Magnifica humanitas," the CBCP said peace is "neither a naive hope nor merely the absence of war" as it requires to "know one another, respect one another, and learn to walk together."

"We therefore encourage, Muslim and Christian religious leaders, together with Indigenous communities, to deepen dialogue and strengthen structures of cooperation for peace," CBCP President Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera said in a pastoral statement after the polls.

"May they (BARMM parliament) govern not for personal or partisan interests, but for the common good of all–Muslims, Christians, Indigenous Peoples, and every community within the Bangsamoro," he added.

Garcera described the historic Bangsamoro parliamentary elections as an "important milestone" in the region's continuing journey to "lasting peace, justice, reconciliation, and genuine self-governance."

He urged the BARMM parliament to make the region a "home for everyone" by protecting the dignity, rights and religious freedom of every person and community.

The BARMM held its first parliamentary elections on Monday, September 14, with a final voter turnout of 84.34%.

The turnout represented 2,018,478 voters out of the region’s 2.393 million registered voters.

The 80 newly elected Parliament members will assume office on October 30 and elect the region’s chief minister. The first elected officials will serve a five-year term until June 30, 2031. —RF, GMA News