Yearender: Bangsamoro parliament's tenure extended in 2021

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — For peace advocates, 2021 shall be remembered as the year where the peace overture between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front got another much-needed boost.

They are apparently referring to the extension for three more years, via congressional imprimatur, of the tenure of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority that was to end next year.

The House of Representatives permitted this year the extension of the BTA’s term until 2025.

Officials of the now 29-month Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the MILF and various peace advocacy blocs, some with links to international groups, had asked for the extension for the BTA's term to have enough time to proceed with the transition from the defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to BARMM.

The creation of BARMM in February 2019, via the Bangsamoro Organic Law, was premised on accords reached by the MILF and the national government during two decades of peace talks.

“Year 2021 is a year to remember for all those helping, supporting the Mindanao peace process,” lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo, BARMM’s local government minister, said Wednesday.

There was an extensive process in securing congressional permission to extend BTA’s term until 2025, which also meant deferment to that year of BARMM’s supposed 2022 first ever regional elections.

Thousands of residents in different provinces in BARMM launched peaceful rallies and caravans this year to dramatize support for efforts to secure the extension.

The BARMM leadership had said there is need for enough time to decommission thousands of guerillas under the peace and security agenda of the government-MILF peace process.