Cotabato City Sees Another Peace Rally Amid Calls for Full Bangsamoro Implementation

The single sharpest fact is that another group will hold its own peace rally in Cotabato City, just three days after a huge rally by a different group.

The Recover BARMM Now!, a broad coalition of Bangsamoro stakeholders, will stage a rally in front of the Bangsamoro Government Complex here on Thursday, June 25. The group is composed of peace advocates, civil society organizations, religious and traditional leaders, youth and women’s groups, professionals, former Moro combatants, and community organizations.

The group’s spokesperson, Al Hajj Mabini Misuari, said the rally aims to raise awareness on the importance of implementing the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro. Misuari stressed that the agreement is crucial to achieving lasting peace and prosperity in the region.

The Recover BARMM Now! rally is expected to start at 9 am and will feature speeches, performances, and presentations by various speakers. The event is open to the public, and attendees are encouraged to bring their families and friends.

The rally is the third major peace gathering in Cotabato City in recent weeks. The city has been a hotbed of peace activism, with various groups pushing for the implementation of the peace agreement.

The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, signed in 2014, aims to address the decades-long conflict in Mindanao by creating a new autonomous region. The agreement was hailed as a major breakthrough in the peace process, but its implementation has been slow due to various challenges and controversies.

In recent months, the peace agreement has gained renewed attention, with various groups calling for its full implementation. The Recover BARMM Now! rally is one of several initiatives aimed at pushing for the agreement’s implementation.

The Philippine government has committed to fully implementing the agreement, but progress has been slow. The government has established the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, tasked with overseeing the transition to a new autonomous region.

The transition authority has been working to establish the necessary institutions and laws to govern the new region. However, the process has been hampered by various challenges, including corruption and bureaucratic inefficiencies.

Despite these challenges, the peace agreement remains a crucial step towards achieving lasting peace and prosperity in the region. The Recover BARMM Now! rally is a significant development in the peace process, highlighting the growing demands for the agreement’s implementation.