The implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) is gaining renewed momentum as the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Implementing Panels demonstrate a stronger sense of “jointness” ahead of historic regional elections.
Government Peace Panel Chair and concurrent Presidential Peace Adviser, Secretary Mel Senen S. Sarmiento, gave the assurance on Friday, September 3, as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) prepares for its first regular parliamentary elections on September 14, 2026.
According to Sarmiento, who assumed the GPH Panel Chair post in July, there has been a “substantive resumption of engagements across the GPH-MILF peace infrastructure,” with joint mechanisms under both the Political and Normalization Tracks actively delivering on their commitments.
He noted that since taking office, the GPH team actively reached out to MILF partners to demonstrate the national government’s commitment to accelerating the CAB’s political and normalization tracks. Following a recent meeting in Camp Darapanan with MILF Chair Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, Sarmiento expressed confidence in the MILF leadership’s shared determination to fulfill their deliverables.
The renewed momentum follows the 38th Peace Implementing Panels Meeting on August 4, where both parties signed the “Declaration of Continuity of the Partnership between the Government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the Implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro”. In a joint statement, the parties agreed that as the political track culminates with the establishment of a regular Bangsamoro Government following the September elections, remaining obligations under the Normalization Track must continue parallel to and commensurate with established arrangements.
Sarmiento described the August 4 meeting as a springboard that triggered an uptick in normalization and peace security activities across several key fronts.
Under the security component, the Joint Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and the Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) signed guidelines on August 31 for ceasefire-related functions during the upcoming parliamentary elections to prevent armed confrontation and address local tensions. Security mechanisms including the Joint Peace and Security Committee (JPSC), the Technical Working Group on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), and the Inter-agency on the International Monitoring Team (IMT) also convened recently.
Socioeconomic and community development measures have progressed as well. The Task Force for Decommissioned Combatants and their Communities (TFDCC) held its 22nd regular meeting to accelerate its catch-up plans for former combatants. Meanwhile, the Joint Task Forces on Camps Transformation (JTFCT) completed baseline assessments for social infrastructure, including a proposed two-classroom Madrasah in Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte.
Efforts surrounding Transitional Justice and Reconciliation (TJR) advanced through capacity-building sessions on mental health and psychosocial support for Moro and Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples women, joint vetting for the enhanced National Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission for the Bangsamoro (NTJRCB) Bill, and consultations on the draft Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Bangsamoro TJR Act of 2025.
Under the Political Track, Sarmiento revealed that an Information Operations Coordinating Center (IOCC) is being established to monitor ground developments before, during, and after the September 14 polls to ensure a safe, orderly, and credible election.
Sarmiento reaffirmed that under the direction of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the national government remains confident in BARMM’s potential. He emphasized that the ongoing joint operations prove the shared commitment of both the GPH and MILF to achieve lasting peace and sustainable development through continued dialogue and mutual respect.