Murad declares BARMM holiday to remember 2014 peace pact

COTABATO City, Philippines – Bangsamoro interim Chief Minister Ahod Balawag “Murad” Ebrahim has declared March 27, Monday, as a special non-working holiday in the entire Muslim-majority region in commemoration of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) nine years ago.

In Proclamation No. 0001-2023, Ebrahim said it would be fitting and proper to honor the signing of the CAB, which promoted peace and stability in Mindanao and paved the way for the establishment of the present Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) approved the request for the declaration of a holiday in Resolution No. 325 passed on March 21.

The proclamation said BARMM residents deserve the full opportunity to commemorate, celebrate, and participate in the ceremonies and other activities related to the 2014 turning point in the region’s history.

The final peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) was sealed at Malacañang on March 27, 2014, during the administration of the late president Benigno Simeon Aquino III.

The agreement was followed by a series of peace accords until it culminated in the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), which paved the way for the creation of the BARMM during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte. – Rappler.com

Ferdinandh Cabrera is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow.