PASIG CITY – The implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) is back on track and continues to gain momentum, as the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Implementing Panels demonstrate a stronger sense of “jointness.”
This was the assurance given by GPH Panel Chair, Sec. MEL SENEN SARMIENTO, as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) gears up for its historic first parliamentary elections on September 14, 2026.
‘𝐒𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧’ 𝐨𝐟 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬
According to Sarmiento, who is also the concurrent Presidential Peace Adviser, there has been a “substantive resumption of engagements across the GPH-MILF peace infrastructure,” with joint mechanisms under both the Political and Normalization Tracks moving forward with their implementation deliverables.
“Since my appointment as GPH Panel Chair in July, we have actively reached out to our partners in the MILF to demonstrate the national government’s utmost sincerity and commitment to accelerate the implementation of the CAB’s political and normalization Tracks,” Sarmiento said on Friday, September 3.
“Based on our recent meeting with MILF Chair Ahod Balawag Ebrahim in Camp Darapanan, we are pleased to note that the MILF leadership has shown the same level of sincerity and commitment, which is a testament of their determination to fulfill their deliverables under the CAB,” he added.
During the 38th Peace Implementing Panels Meeting on August 4, the parties issued a Joint Statement and signed a “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,” signaling the resumption of joint engagements for all Normalization activities.
The Joint Statement read: “As the political track of the CAB culminates with the establishment of the regular Bangsamoro Government following the first regular Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE), the Parties acknowledge the necessity of advancing the implementation of the Normalization Track, in the spirit of continuity and sustainability of the dividends of peace.”
The Declaration of Continuity, on the other hand, stated: “The Parties reaffirm that these remaining obligations shall continue to be pursued jointly in a parallel and commensurate manner, and in accordance with the CAB and its established implementation arrangements.”
𝐀 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐛𝐨𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦𝐬
Sarmiento noted that the August 4 Panels Meeting has become “a springboard” for GPH-MILF peace mechanisms to jointly carry out activities to advance the CAB’s Normalization and Political Tracks.
“Since our Panels Meeting last month, we have seen an uptick in Normalization-related activities. These are clear indications that the GPH and MILF are determined to sustain and build on the hard-won gains of peace in the Bangsamoro,” he stressed.
Under the security component of the Normalization Track, the Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) and Ad Hoc Joint Action Group (AHJAG) signed on August 31 the Guidelines for Mutual Understanding for Ceasefire-related Functions during the 14 September 2026 BARMM Parliamentary Elections.
In his remarks at the event, Sarmiento underscored the CCCH and AHJAG’s mandate, which is to “protect the peace, prevent armed confrontation, address tensions before they escalate, and ensure that our ceasefire mechanisms remain responsive and effective.
As part of continuing efforts to ensure peace and security in the BARMM, the GPH and MILF’s Joint Peace and Security Committee (JPSC), as well as the Technical Working Group (TWG) on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and Inter-agency on the International Monitoring Team (IMT) met last month.
Under the Normalization Track’s socioeconomic development component, the Task Force for Decommissioned Combatants and their Communities (TFDCC) held its 22nd Regular meeting to discuss ways on how to fast track its “catch-up” plan.
Under the Confidence-building Measures component, the Joint Task Forces on Camps Transformation (JTFCT) conducted a Baseline Assessment and Social and Environmental Scanning for the construction of a proposed two-classroom Madrasah in Matanog, Maguindanao del Norte.
The Transitional Justice and Reconciliation (TJR) component is also gaining ground, with the recent conduct of a capacity-building activity on mental health and psychosocial support and TJ for Moro and Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples (NMIP) women in the BARMM and adjacent communities; a joint vetting session on the enhanced National Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission for the Bangsamoro (NTJRCB) Bill and the 15th meeting of the
of the GPH-MILF TWG-TJR; and a consultation with BARMM ministries on the draft Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Bangsamoro TJR Act of 2025.
Meanwhile, under the CAB’s Political Track, Sarmiento bared that an Information Operations Coordinating Center (IOCC) is currently being set up to monitor developments during the upcoming BARMM polls, which is a historic milestone for the Bangsamoro peace process.
“The IOCC will be crucial in keeping abreast of the latest developments on the ground before, during and after the elections. This is in line with our goal to ensure the safe, orderly and credible conduct of the polls,” he said.
“Taken all together, these activities being carried out under the Normalization and Political Tracks prove one thing, and that is, the desire of the GPH and MILF to realize their collective vision of achieving long-lasting peace and sustainable development for the Bangsamoro people,” Sarmiento said.
“Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s guidance, we are confident that the BARMM will realize its full potential and serve as a shining example of what can be achieved through continuing dialogue, mutual understanding and most of all, respect for each other,” he concluded
