Three years enough to establish strong BARMM gov't —minister

Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Interior and Local Government Minister Naguib Sinarimbo on Monday expressed confidence that the additional three years would be enough for the Bangsamoro transitional government to establish a strong bureaucracy for the region.

This as President Rodrigo Duterte has signed the law postponing the May 2022 elections in the BARMM to May 2025. The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) will oversee the region until the May 2025 midterm polls.

"Base ho sa pag-aaral at review ng peace panels natin, pareho 'yung gobyerno at saka 'yung Moro Islamic Liberation Front, ay sufficient enough 'yung three years po para makumpleto natin 'yung implementation ng peace agreement at saka maging matatag na rin 'yung pundasyon ng gobyerno ng Bangsamoro at sufficient enough para magkaroon tayo ng gobyerno na kayang i-absorb 'yung temporary shocks na kine-create ng elections," Sinarimbo said during a Laging Handa public briefing.

(Based on studies and review of our peace panels, both from the government and the MILF, three years is sufficient enough to complete the implementation of the peace agreement and to strengthen the foundation of the Bangsamoro government. It is also enough for us to have a government that can absorb temporary shocks being created by the election period.)

"Magkakaroon tayo ng sufficient time at 'yung environment for pursuing normalization at saka 'yung political track ay nandiyan. Mayroon tayong stability at continuity," he added.

(We will have sufficient time and environment to pursue normalization. We will have stability and continuity.)

According to Sinarimbo, there are still measures and efforts that need to be accomplished to ensure lasting peace and development in BARMM.

"Una, kailangan nating mapagtibay 'yung institutions of government sa Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao dahil ho nagkaroon tayo ng COVID for nearly two years na. Karamihan po doon sa nakatakdang agreement ng gobyerno at Moro Islamic Liberation Front na maayos 'yung mga institutions of government ay hindi natin nahabol," Sinarimbo said. 

(First, we need to strengthen the institutions of government in BARMM. The COVID-19 pandemic, which has been there for nearly two years now, has affected our efforts to fully establish the institutions of government specified in the agreement between the government and MILF.)

"Ganoon din sa normalization track kung saan 'yung combatants ng Moro Islamic Liberation Front ay nakatakadang mag-decommission at dahil inabot tayo ng COVID, hindi rin natuloy 'yung second phase ng decommissioning na mayroon tayong 14,000 na combatants," he added.

(The pandemic also affected the decommissioning of MILF combatants. The second phase of the decommissioning of some 14,000 combatants did not push through.)

So far, a total of 12,145 out of the 40,000 MILF combatants have already been decommissioned, Sinarimbo said.

The BARMM includes Cotabato City, 63 barangays in the municipalities of  Aleosan, Carmen, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pigkawayan and Pikit in North Cotabato.

It has expanded land and water jurisdiction, fiscal autonomy, increased share in national government resources, among others. —KG, GMA News