The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Episcopal Commission on Inter-religious Dialogue (ECID) welcomed the election of Abdulraof ‘Sammy Gambar’ Macacua as chief minister of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
‘A historic step for the peace process. Mr. Macacua is the first to hold this office in the newly established BARMM government,’ said Kidapawan Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, chairperson of CBCP-ECID and convenor of the Inter-religious Council for National Transformation (IRLCNT).
Bagaforo said the election of Macacua marks the final phase of the full implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the peace accord between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
‘It is a milestone for Bangsamoro, for Mindanao, and for the whole nation,’ Bagaforo said in a statement.
He also congratulated the MILF and its leaders, led by Chairman Ahod ‘Al Haj Murad’ Ebrahim and Vice Chair Mohagher Iqbal, for a peaceful and democratic transition from its interim administration.
‘This orderly handover shows the maturity of the Bangsamoro people’s political life and the strength of the peace they have built together,’ the Roman Catholic bishop said.
Bagaforo also said he is hoping for an inclusive Bangsamoro.
‘We pray that the new BARMM government will be inclusive of all, especially the Moro, indigenous, and settler peoples, the tri-people who share this land,’ Bagaforo said.
‘We urge the new leadership to reach out to everyone in the spirit of reconciliation, and to lead the region toward genuine progress and the welfare of all its constituents.’
He said the CBCP-ECID supports and is in solidarity with the new Bangsamoro government and Parliament.
‘The Church will continue to walk with our Muslim brothers and sisters, with Indigenous Peoples, and with all communities in the region in dialogue, friendship, and the common work of building a just and lasting peace,’ Bagaforo said.