President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. met with governors of the Bangsamoro region to discuss issues related to the autonomous area’s path towards peace and prosperity, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Sunday.
The PCO said Marcos “dropped by the meeting” of Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo Jr. and Mindanao Development Authority Chairman Leo Magno with the governors of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“A wide range of issues, centering on peace and prosperity in the region, were discussed during the meeting,” the PCO said.
The PCO’s statement comes a day ahead of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for BARMM’s first-ever parliamentary elections in 2025.
Comelec Chair George Garcia told Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have deployed more personnel to the Bangsamoro region to help ensure the peace and security of the BARMM COC filing process from Nov. 4, Monday, to Nov. 9, Saturday.
Although he welcomed the increased presence of the police and military, Garcia stressed that this should not be viewed as a sign that the government considers BARMM as a hotbed for poll violence.
Also during the meeting, Marcos and the attendees had a “productive and frank exchange of ideas on how to move forward the government’s development agenda for the Bangsamoro people” following the Supreme Court’s decision declaring that Sulu is not part of BARMM’s territorial jurisdiction, the PCO said.
Last month, the Bangsamoro government announced that it has asked the Supreme Court to re-include Sulu province in the Bangsamoro region.
Consultation with local leaders
The PCO said Marcos’ meeting with the BARMM leaders was consistent with the administration’s goal of inclusive consultations among all stakeholders.
“That kind [of] meeting with local leaders has been conducted by Malacañang officials since Day One of this administration pursuant to its vow to directly and regularly consult local leaders regardless of political affiliation,” the PCO added.
Meanwhile, Garcia expressed confidence that the AFP and PNP would be able to maintain peace and order in BARMM, not just for the filing of COCs this week but until Eleksyon 2025.
Garcia said the filing of COCs for the midterm polls from Oct. 1 to 8 were generally peaceful, except for one incident.
The Comelec chair was referring to a shooting incident on Oct. 8 in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao, which left at least one person dead and five others wounded.
The municipal police said misinformation could have triggered the tension that ended in the death of a barangay peacekeeping action team member.
Less than two weeks later, the Comelec said the COC filing for the parliamentary polls would push through despite the Shariff Aguak shooting. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
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