OPAPRU, Cabinet cluster endorse peace process to next admin

MANILA – The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) and the Inter-Cabinet Cluster Mechanism on Normalization (ICCMN) on Friday renewed their commitments to continue the various initiatives under the normalization track of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), six weeks left before President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration ends.

OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the peace-building and normalization initiatives will be handed over to the new set of government officials.

“It is our hope the ICCMN will be able to accelerate the implementation of our peace-building initiatives under the Normalization Program,” Galvez said in a statement, while reiterating his support for the continuous pursuit of peace and development in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The ICCMN, composed of 17 agencies, is responsible for pushing for various programs such as the decommissioning of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s combatants and weapons and transformation of former Moro rebel camps.

It was created through Executive Order 70 signed April 2019.

“These milestones were achieved due to the steadfast commitment and support of all stakeholders — the Bangsamoro and national governments, civil society organizations, as well our local and international peace partners,” Galvez said.

“Through the support of ICCMN member-agencies, there is no doubt that we shall accomplish the tasks ahead such as the implementation of socio-economic programs for the decommissioned combatants and their families,” he added.

ICCMN co-chairperson and acting Cabinet Secretary, Melvin Matibag, urged the body to continuously ensure timely, appropriate, and efficient delivery of the normalization program for the beneficiaries and their communities.

“Our investment in the normalization programs and projects must not be wasted. You should ensure that this should bring us closer to achieving the Normalization Program’s goals,” Matibag said in another statement.

Sustaining the peace process in the Southern part of Mindanao is among the flagship programs of the Duterte administration.