Marcos vows to employ strong political will to achieve Bangsamoro peace, development

President Marcos has vowed that he will exercise a “strong political will” in pushing for peace and development in the Bangsamoro Region.

In his speech during the 10th Anniversary of the Signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), Marcos underscored that achieving long-lasting peace and development are achieved by working relentlessly and through political will.

“Above all, peace is achieved by working relentlessly, the crusade for peace and the cause of development should not hinge on whims nor depend on where the political winds blow,” Marcos said.

“It requires a strong political will. And, as President, I will exercise that strong political will for the success of the Bangsamoro region,” he added.

The President also said that long-lasting peace can be sustained “with a scoreboard of development.”

“We knew that peace to our people will be found in businesses launched, in the jobs created, the schools and new hospitals opened, the farms irrigated, and the roads constructed,” the President said.

“To us, there is only one peace – and that is when the bloody tally of war is replaced with a scoreboard of development. That scoreboard shows that peace was won, and the war is over,” he added.

Underscoring that peace is not an easy job, but “a work of a lifetime,” Marcos urged the Bangsamoro to work together as the government implements a whole-of-society approach in its mission to uplift the lives of the people of Bangsamoro.

He also reiterated his commitment to the normalization of the Bangsamoro communities, especially to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Font (MNLF) members.

“Let us continue to work together and march in unison as we implement our whole-of-society approach in our mission to uplift the lives of the people of Bangsamoro,” Marcos said.

“As we embark on a new chapter towards reconciliation, which shall be bolstered by the fast-approaching start of the amnesty application by the National Amnesty Commission, I am once again conveying my commitment to the normalization of the Bangsamoro communities, especially to the MILF and the MNLF members,” he added. — Betheena Unite

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