The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (Opapru) hailed the assurance given by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that the first parliamentary elections of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) would proceed as scheduled in October. Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. said the president’s guarantee “is a powerful affirmation of our shared commitment to the Bangsamoro peace process” which stresses the government’s unceasing commitment to fully implement the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). The chief executive’s pronouncement also sends a clear message that his administration is bent on upholding “the principles of peace and self-governance in the Bangsamoro region.” Galvez noted that the Opapru, in partnership with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Presidential Task Force on Media Security, and the BARMM Information Office, will conduct information, education, and communication campaigns for journalists in Mindanao to boost coverage accuracy and safety during the historic election set for Oct. 13. Marcos earlier confirmed that he will sign the measure postponing the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to allow the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to fully focus on the BARMM polls, emphasizing that the BARMM election is crucial to the peace process and needs to be successful.
