By Noel Punzalan/PNA
COTABATO CITY — Key peace leaders met here Wednesday to ensure the smooth transition of the regional government from the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, and Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. sat together at the ARMM executive building inside Shariff Kabunsuan Complex, the provisional seat of the ARMM in this city, to discuss the region’s shift to the new Bangsamoro government.
Following the ratification of Republic Act 11054, Hataman had hoped for autonomy that makes full use of good governance to make a positive impact on the lives of the region’s constituents.
“We must put a premium on the welfare of our people and ensure open and transparent governance if we are to build a lasting peace that benefits all,” Hataman said.
Stressing the importance of Wednesday’s meeting, Hataman said “It was a fruitful meeting, we discussed substantial steps on how to go about the transition from ARMM to BARMM’s Bangsamoro Transition Authority.”
The meeting ensured the next steps to a historic transition, where the new autonomous political entity BARMM will replace the 29-year-old ARMM.
Murad welcomed the efforts of OPAPP to ensure a smooth transition of governance from the current ARMM leadership to the leaders of the MILF, as provided for in the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.
