COTABATO CITY — The Bangsamoro Government, headed by Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim, applauded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., for his continued commitment to “bring genuine autonomy and progress” to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
In his official statement a day after the President’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), Chief Minister Ebrahim said, “The president’s call for granting amnesty is a testament to his strong and resolute desire of finding lasting peace and justice.”
Although it was not specific toward a particular group, Marcos cited during his SONA that he will issue a proclamation granting amnesty to rebel returnees.
The President recognized that for almost half a century, some fellow Filipinos have taken to arms to make their views known and felt.
“We are now at a point in our history when their armed struggle has evolved. We have now progressed together towards peace and development,” Marcos said.
“To complete this reintegration process, I will issue a Proclamation granting amnesty to rebel returnees, and I ask Congress to support me in this endeavor,” the President added, which gained applauses from the audiences.
In a press conference on July 18, several members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) appealed to President Marcos and Congress to grant blanket amnesty to Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members and fast-track its implementation.
“We assure the President that in this ‘Bagong Pilipinas’, we will all strive to have a Bangsamoro that is self-governing, progressive, and effective. In shaa Allah [If Allah wills],” CM Ebrahim said.
In the region, the majority of the constituents also expressed their gratitude to the President through their social media accounts.
Interior and Local Government Minister Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo expressed his gratitude to the President for bringing the plight of BARMM into the national arena.
“There are a lot of good references made by President Marcos, Jr. to the BARMM during his 2nd State of the Nation address yesterday. And we should be thankful for these,” Sinarimbo said. (Abdullah Matucan/BIO)
