The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has welcomed the appointment of Mel Senen Sarmiento as the government’s new peace adviser, seeing it as a chance to restart stalled efforts in the Bangsamoro peace process.
In an emailed press advisory Friday, April 24, Mohagher M. Iqbal, chair of the MILF Peace Implementing Panel, said Sarmiento’s civilian governance background is what the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) needs as the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) enters its final stages.
“This is civilian work. It requires the kind of governance experience that Secretary Sarmiento brings—his understanding of municipal administration, regional development coordination, and national government-BARMM intergovernmental work,” Iqbal said.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Sarmiento as head of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) following the sudden resignation of Carlito G. Galvez Jr. earlier this week.
Sarmiento, 64, is a veteran public servant who previously served as secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and as congressman, mayor, and vice mayor of Calbayog City in Samar.
Iqbal, who is also MILF first vice chairman and chief negotiator, said the major peace agreements are already in place, but the harder task now is institution-building and delivering services in BARMM.
He said progress slowed in recent months despite gains under Galvez, including the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
The MILF suspended the decommissioning of 14,000 combatants in July 2025 and paused parts of its engagement with the government in March 2026, citing the need for leadership changes in the government peace panel.
With Sarmiento now leading OPAPRU, the MILF believes there is a fresh opportunity to move the peace process forward.
“The Bangsamoro’s future depends on whether we finish what we started. The MILF stands ready to contribute fully to that work,” Iqbal said.
The MILF is also pushing for direct talks with the new OPAPRU leadership on strengthening BARMM’s fiscal capacity, ensuring credible parliamentary elections, and delivering development to conflict-affected communities.
“The work ahead requires partnership, not parallel processes,” Iqbal said, stressing that lasting peace depends on sustained civilian-led cooperation between national and regional leaders.
