Chair Mohagher Iqbal’s Message read during the Titayan 2: Bridging to sustain peace in the Bangsamoro, August 19, 2025, Acacia Hotel Davao City

Session 1: Conversations with the Peace Implementing Panels on Status of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro

Assalamu Alaikum Warramatulahi Wabarakutu
First of all, let me thank and congratulate the convenors of the Friends of Peace, especially the Lead Convenor, His Eminence Cardinal Orlando Quevedo, for once again taking the initiative to bring all the important actors of the peace process here in Davao City today.

From Tawi-Tawi, Sulu and Basilan, Zamboanga City, Pikit, Lanao and Marawi, Iligan, Manila, Cotabato, Maguindanao, General Santos, Upi to Davao City – thank you very much for traveling, leaving behind your important work and family commitments to be able to join us in this very important and timely conference.
I can see that we have a very good mix of personalities here – from our indigenous brothers and sisters – the Talaandigs are here, Arumanen Manobo, Teduray – you are a big part of this conversation.

I would also like to recognize my very good friend, Bishop Efraem Tendero, the former Chair of the Government Peace Panel, Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer. We also have with us Datu Michael Mastura and his wife Madam Lourdes Mastura. Let me also greet Rev. Al Senturias of the Mindanao Peoples Peace Movement.

I beg your indulgence if I cannot mention your names one by one but please know that we are very much grateful and appreciative of the great work that you do for the peace process not only for the Bangsamoro but for Mindanao.

True to the Maguindanao term “Titayan” – I know that many of you have played the role of bridges – not only for years but to some of you here even for decades to be able to connect, sustain and move the peace process forward.
The peace process survives because of individuals like you who remain steadfast, persistent and ready to serve as a Titayan to bring the parties together especially when the sailing gets tough, bumpy and rowdy.

Despite the uncertainty and the erosion of trust and confidence, we are here because we are first and foremost practitioners of Dialogue. In Islamic teaching – we call this Mushawwara – where the community, men and women, engage in deliberations aimed at finding resolution to a misunderstanding, discord or dispute.

I was looking forward to this conversation with my esteemed counterpart in the Government Peace Panel – retired General and Chairman Cesar Yano — but I received reports – although not official yet, that he has tendered his irrevocable resignation. If true, I hope and pray that he can still be prevailed upon by the president to reconsider his decision, or we lose a reasonable man needed in the resolution of the conflict in Mindanao.

To trigger our conversation, let me discuss three key points that will describe the current status of the CAB implementation.

1. The MILF is fully committed to put in place genuine peace in Mindanao.

Let me emphasize what Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim declared in his August 9, 2025 statement welcoming the announcement of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. that the Barangay and SK election will be reset to give more focus on the historic parliamentary election this coming October 13. In his statement, Chairman Murad assured the President “that the MILF remains committed and duty-bound to implement and deliver what we have committed under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro”.

The MILF has been consistent on this solid position from the very first day of the signing of the CAB more than 11 years ago. Anybody who wants to read the agenda of the MILF need not go any further than the CAB. It is all there complete with the Annexes and Roadmap and our collective goal is to have it fully implemented. MILF expects no less than what is enshrined We will not tolerate half-baked, shortcuts or “pede na” mentality in implementing the political and normalization tracks of the peace agreement.

Thus, we take the CAB very seriously and we expect the same from our counterpart in the National Government.

We call upon all stakeholders to faithfully implement the CAB as the only formula agreed by the parties to solve the so-called Bangsamoro problem.

To the credit of both parties, we can attest that for the past 11 years spanning 3 presidencies, the peace accord has been substantially complied and implemented. We could not have the Bangsamoro Organic Law enacted, the BARMM parliamentary government established and the decommissioning of 26,145 combatants delivered without the earnest efforts of both parties.

2. The current problem in the BARMM lies in the questionable move to change the leadership of the BTA/BARMM by the National Government.

Let me be very candid here so that we will be able to understand the problem. The current problem confronting the BARMM is caused by the imposed regime change in the BARMM by the National Government. In March 2025, two months away from the midterm election and seven months away from the parliamentary election – the National Government, through the OPAPRU orchestrated a regime change in the BARMM. They removed the Chairman of the MILF, Al Hajj Murad Ebrahim as Chief Minister and appointed a new Chief Minister – Abdulraof Macacua without prior consultation and concurrence of the Central Committee of the MILF.

Moreover, the National Government did not anymore follow the endorsement of 41 MILF nominees in the BTA. As it stands now, out of the forty-one (41) names formally endorsed by the MILF, only thirty-five (35) were appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. This deviation undermines Section 2, Article XVI of Bangsamoro Organic Law which provides that “The Moro Islamic Liberation Front shall lead the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, without prejudice to the participation of the Moro National Liberation Front in its membership.”

It is likewise a violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), particularly on the Annex on Transitional Arrangements II.B.2. which provides that the BTA shall be MILF-led.

With only thirty-five (35) members appointed, the National Government has weakened the MILF’s leadership in the BTA, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the transition period and the commitment of the parties to the peace agreement. While the power to appoint the Chief Minister is within the authority of the President, the MILF holds the view that such decision cannot be exercised unilaterally and in contravention with the peace accord.

Those who try to justify the action of Malacanan are claiming that the BTA is still MILF led because the new Chief Minister is still a high ranking official of the MILF. That is beside the point.

As it stands now, the Bangsamoro people views this move as a classic divide and rule tactic, a counter-insurgency move designed to destroy the MILF.

I hope you don’t mind if I will be brutally frank with you on this issue so that we will be able to engage in a meaningful conversation and dialogue.

• At this point in time, the MILF doubts whether the President is fully briefed and well informed about the gravity of the situation in the BARMM.

3. Momentary suspension of the Fourth and Final Phase of the Decommissioning Process

Unfulfilled commitments on the decommissioning aspect of the normalization track forced the MILF to step the brakes on the Fourth and Final Phase of decommissioning.

As stated in the 19 July 2025 MILF CC Resolution, “the graduated implementation of the decommissioning that is “parallel and commensurate to the implementation of all the agreements of the parties” is central to the accord and was purposively included such that both parties are able to exact compliance of the other’s commitment as the journey towards implementation is jointly undertaken”.

Parallel and commensurate means that we cannot just proceed with the final phase of decommissioning without making any significant progress on Amnesty, Camp Transformation, Socio-economic packages, Disbandment of private armed groups and the Transitional Justice and Reconciliation, to name a few.

We find the unilateral act of implementing the Normalization activities by National Government and the OPAPRU in particular to be directly undermining the MILF as government’s peace partner. We can see what you are doing directly inviting MILF commanders – bringing them to Davao or Manila without prior coordination. While your intentions may be good, it smacks of divide and rule and lack of respect to the leadership.

The Bangsamoro is no stranger to this antics.
The main casualty here is trust and confidence. We could not understand why government had to “change horses” just as we are approaching the finish line of the transition period.

4. Calls the parties to pool their efforts together to ensure a clean, honest and peaceful parliamentary elections on October 13, 2025.

As we convene here today, we are only 55 days away from the October 13 parliamentary election. The campaign period will officially start this coming August 28.

MILF is dead set to win this election. At stake here is not only the continuity of the peace process but also the preservation of the institutional and political reforms that we have already established in the Bangsamoro homeland. This election is going to be highly
contentious and doubly difficult for the United Bangsamoro Justice Party candidates who are considered neophytes in politics. Compared to our political rivals who have been in power and politics for generations, UBJP is a relatively new player and is just learning to shift from armed struggle to electoral struggle.

Win or lose, MILF is ready to submit itself to the will of the people in a democratic exercise.
Let this election be a direct exercise of the collective right to self-determination of the Moro people.