New Chair for Bangsamoro Peace Implementing Panel to be Announced

The Philippine government is expected to announce a new chairperson for its Peace Implementing Panel (GPH PIP) in the Bangsamoro peace process by Wednesday, July 15. Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento told MindaNews on Tuesday evening that Malacañang is expected to make the announcement the following day. This will mark the sixth chairperson for the GPH PIP since 2016. The appointment of a new GPH PIP chair is significant for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as well. Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the MILF’s Peace Implementing Panel (PIP), had stated on July 3 that the MILF would lift its "temporary pause" in engagements, which began four months prior, "not later than ASAP, after GPH panel has the appointment document." The MILF had declared this pause on March 16, stating they would resume engagements once a "full-fledged chairman" for the government PIP was named. According to Sarmiento, vetting sessions for the new GPH PIP chair were conducted. However, he noted that the "very first one, who was supposed to be appointed" had to withdraw due to family requests. The identity of this initial candidate was not disclosed. Notably, the new GPH chair will be the sixth in ten years. In contrast, on the MILF side, Iqbal has been the sole chair of their PIP since 2016. Both the GPH and MILF PIPs are approaching their 10th anniversary on July 21. The PIPs are distinct from peace negotiating panels. Their role began after the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) on March 27, 2014. The PIPs were established in the first month of the Duterte administration, on July 21, 2016, following a meeting between then Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza and MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim. At that time, it was agreed that negotiations were concluded and the process was moving into its implementation phase. Initially conceived as a ten-member joint implementing team, Dureza later clarified that it would consist of separate panels, each with five members. Irene Santiago served as the first GPH PIP chair, with Iqbal leading the MILF PIP. The peace implementation phase was launched in Kuala Lumpur on August 13-14, 2016. Subsequent GPH PIP chairs included Nabil Tan (2017-2018), Dr. Gloria J. Mercado (2019), Undersecretary David Diciano (2020-2022), and retired Gen. Cesar Yano, who served until early this year. The appointment of the new GPH-PIP chair on July 15 comes approximately two months before the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections (BPE) on September 14, and one day before the start of the election period. The BPE will elect 80 Members of Parliament. The elected officials are set to take their oath on October 30, 2026, and will serve until June 30, 2031. This date also marks the end of the extended transition period, which was originally scheduled to conclude on June 30, 2022. Source: MindaNews Philippines (GN)