Call to retain peace adviser snowballs
Carlito Galvez Jr., Presidential peace adviser| | PHOTO: Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB
ILIGAN CITY – Calls to have Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. retain his post have snowballed among Bangsamoro leaders, with the interim parliament of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) adding its voice on the matter.
During its regular session on Thursday, the BARMM parliament passed a resolution expressing their “full support” for Galvez’s continued stay at the helm of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (Opapru) “to sustain peace efforts in the Bangsamoro region.”
The resolution was authored by Members of Parliament Abdulkarim Misuari, Randolph Parcasio, Romeo Sema, Nurredha Misuari and Saripuddin Jikiri.
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In his privilege speech on Tuesday’s session, Sema said that “very few have walked with the Bangsamoro with the level of humility, consistency, and genuine understanding that Secretary Galvez has shown.”
“Since his appointment as Presidential Adviser, Secretary Galvez has played a stabilizing role in one of the most delicate chapters of our peace process. At a time when the transition to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao required steady hands and calm minds, Secretary Galvez stood firm,” noted Sema, an official of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
“He became a bridge—not only between the Moro fronts and the national government, but between a painful past and a hopeful future,” he added.
Sema credited Galvez for reactivating and strengthening the implementing mechanisms for the 1996 Final Peace Agreement that the MNLF forged with the government.
“He has ensured that the MNLF, long a cornerstone of the Moro struggle, remains part of the ongoing efforts to build an inclusive and stable BARMM. He did not treat the peace agreements as mere paperwork. He treated them as living commitments—commitments that required action, funding, leadership, and above all, sincerity,” Sema emphasized.
In an earlier statement, Misuari cited Galvez as “instrumental in advancing the peace process not only for the MNLF but across the peace tables, maintaining the posture of dignity, sincerity and mutual respect.”
On Friday, MP Abdullah “Commander Bravo” Macapaar, which leads a regional front of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), made public his letter to President Marcos that contained his “strong appeal to retain Secretary Galvez” in the leadership of Opapru.
“Secretary Galvez possesses a rare talent for uniting diverse stakeholders — from former combatants to local leaders and national agencies — which has been crucial in keeping the MILF peace process on track,” Macapaar said.
“No one understands the complexities of our peace journey more deeply than he does… His retention is not just a matter of policy but a testament to your commitment to a peaceful and prosperous Mindanao,” he added.
The parliament also passed a resolution authored by the same five MPs in support of Special Assistant to the President Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr.
Parcasio described Lagdameo as someone who has “been with us in this journey—not merely as an observer, but as a thoughtful facilitator and firm supporter of the peace process.”
“He has provided critical oversight to ensure the 1996 Final Peace Agreement remains a living document, not a relic of the past. He has opened doors for dialogue, encouraged high-level engagements, and given the Bangsamoro leadership the respect it rightfully deserves,” Parcasio added. /jpv
