The Philippine government will announce a new chair for its Peace Implementing Panel in the Bangsamoro peace process on Wednesday, ending a four-month pause by the MILF.
DAVAO CITY - The Philippine government is set to announce a new chair for its Peace Implementing Panel in the Bangsamoro peace process on Wednesday, July 15, according to Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento.
In a text message to MindaNews on Tuesday evening, Sarmiento stated that Malacañang is expected to make the announcement the following day. This development comes after the Moro Islamic Liberation Front declared a temporary pause in their engagements in the peace process four months ago, pending the appointment of a full-fledged chair for the government panel.
The MILF, through a statement signed by chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim on March 12 and made public on March 16, 2026, announced the pause until a government PIP chair is named. Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the MILF Peace Implementing Panel, told MindaNews on July 3 that the MILF would lift the temporary pause not later than as soon as possible after the government panel receives the appointment document.
Iqbal served as the chair of the MILF peace negotiating panel from 2003 to 2014 and has been the only chair of the MILF peace implementing panel since its creation in 2016. The Peace Implementing Panels were created in July 2016, the first month of the Duterte administration, following a meeting between then Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza and MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim in Camp Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat.
The panels are not stipulated in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the peace agreement signed by the Government of the Philippines and MILF on March 27, 2014, under President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. Instead, they were established to oversee the implementation of the agreement after the negotiating panels concluded their work. Initially intended as a ten-member joint implementing team, Dureza later announced that separate panels of five members each would be formed.
The government PIP has had a series of chairs: Irene Santiago from 2016 to 2017, Nabil Tan from 2017 to 2018, Dr. Gloria J. Mercado in 2019, Undersecretary David Diciano from 2020 to 2022, and retired General Cesar Yano from 2022 until early this year. The incoming chair will be the sixth in ten years, underscoring the turnover in leadership.
On April 21, 2026, it was reported that vetting sessions were completed for the new chair, but the first candidate declined due to family requests. The identity of that candidate was not disclosed. The announcement of the new chair comes at a critical juncture for the Bangsamoro region. The first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections are scheduled for September 14, 2026, with the election period beginning one day earlier.
The elections will elect 80 members of parliament: 40 representing political parties, 32 from districts, and 8 from sectoral groups. The winning candidates will take their oath on October 30, 2026, and serve until June 30, 2031. This date also marks the end of the long-extended transition period, which was originally set to expire on June 30, 2022.
The appointment of a permanent government PIP chair is essential for the continued implementation of the CAB and for ensuring that the peace process remains on track. The MILF lifting of the temporary pause signals a renewed commitment to working alongside the government, pending the official appointment. The peace process has faced numerous challenges, including delays and political transitions, but the upcoming elections represent a significant step toward political stability and self-governance in the Bangsamoro.
The new chair will play a pivotal role in shepherding the remaining aspects of the peace agreement and preparing for the transition to an elected government
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