Civil society warns BARMM parliament against abandoning reform agenda

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Civil society groups have issued a stark warning to members of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliament as it convened for its inaugural session Friday, urging them to resist the pull of conventional political interests that could undermine the region's reform objectives.

Rights advocacy organizations, including Katungod Bangsamoro, framed the assembly's historic opening as a critical juncture where lawmakers must choose between safeguarding the region's revolutionary legacy or succumbing to the transactional nature of traditional politics. The cautionary message underscores civil society's concerns that the region's hard-won autonomy and peace-building framework could be compromised by self-serving political calculations.

Peacebuilders and rights advocates gathered to stress the importance of the parliament's role in advancing the Bangsamoro Organic Law's broader vision. Their intervention reflects growing concern among reform-minded groups that the transition from interim to elected governance could mark a departure from the principles that shaped the region's autonomy arrangement.

The warnings arrive as the newly elected parliament begins its legislative work, with civil society groups positioning themselves as custodians of accountability. Their message signals that advocates intend to maintain scrutiny over the institution's adherence to its mandate for inclusive governance and conflict resolution.