Gov’t assures security for first Bangsamoro Parliament session

COTABATO CITY — The national government on Wednesday said security measures were in place for the inaugural session of the newly elected Bangsamoro Parliament on Friday, Oct. 30.

Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), said the government-Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities met with top commanders of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division and the Police Regional Office–Bangsamoro Autonomous Region to ensure stability and public order before and during the session.

“The peace process in the Bangsamoro region has reached a pivotal juncture, and OPAPRU assures the public that we are closely monitoring the situation on the ground,” Sarmiento said.

He said the agency was coordinating with the security cluster and the peace implementing panels to ensure “a peaceful, orderly, and secure inaugural session.”

At the session, the 80 members of Parliament are expected to elect the region’s chief minister, speaker and other officers of the regional legislature.

“We are working hand-in-hand with all stakeholders so that the members of Parliament can elect their Chief Minister, Speaker, and key leadership in a safe, secure, and transparent environment,” Sarmiento said.

READ: Security ramped up for first session of BARMM’s elected parliament

OPAPRU urged regional stakeholders, community partners and the public to support the transition.

The members of Parliament were elected in the Sept. 14 polls, the first regular elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), which recorded an 84-percent voter turnout.

The elected lawmakers succeed the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, the appointed interim parliament that has governed the region since 2019. Their term runs from noon of Oct. 30 until noon of June 30, 2031.

The elections form part of the political track of the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro between the government and the MILF. /mcm

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