Sarmiento named concurrent GPH peace panel chair

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has appointed Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity chief Mel Senen Sarmiento as concurrent chairperson of the Government’s Peace Implementing Panel for the GPH-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) peace process. 

The appointment thus fills the leadership vacancy that had prompted claims that the Bangsamoro peace process was in “limbo”.

Presidential Communications Office Secretary Claire Castro announced Sarmiento’s appointment during a Malacañang press briefing on Tuesday, July 15.

“Itinalaga rin po bilang Chairperson of Government Peace Implementing Panel for Government of the Philippines-Moro Islamic Liberation Front peace process si Sec. Mel Senen Sarmiento,” Castro said.

The appointment comes after the MILF called for the immediate designation of a new GPH panel chair following the resignation of former chair Cesar Yano.

In an editorial published on Luwaran.com, the MILF said the peace process was in “limbo” because the government had yet to ensure that its implementing structure was functional.

“The peace process is in limbo, not because of the MILF, but because the government has yet to ensure that its own implementing structure is functional,” the column said.

The MILF also claimed that “the CAB, in practical terms, is in a state of suspension” due to the absence of a GPH panel chair.

With Sarmiento’s appointment, the GPH Peace Implementing Panel now has a designated chairperson to serve as the government’s counterpart in the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), addressing the leadership gap cited by the MILF.

The appointment comes amid continuing challenges in the Bangsamoro peace process, including concerns over trust between the parties and the implementation of key commitments under the CAB.

The GPH and the MILF signed the CAB on March 27, 2014, after 17 years of peace negotiations. 

The agreement paved the way for the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao following the ratification of Republic Act No. 11054, or the Bangsamoro Organic Law. (Contributed story)