COTABATO CITY, Philippines โ A bloc of lawmakers in the 80-member Bangsamoro Parliament is urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to retain Special Assistant to the President Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr., citing his key role in supporting peace initiatives in Mindanao.
Regional lawmaker and lawyer Naguib Sinarimbo made the appeal in a privilege speech on Monday, May 26, asking Marcos not to let go of Lagdameo amid the ongoing Cabinet revamp, where all officials were reportedly told to tender their courtesy resignations.
โSAP Lagdameo has strong connectivity with us in the Bangsamoro region. He understands the complexities and implications of the national governmentโs peace process with Moro communities,โ Sinarimbo told reporters. โWe want him to remain in the Office of the President as our direct link.โ
Lagdameo, appointed in 2022, has been actively supporting peace and development efforts involving both the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), said Sinarimbo.
In a text message to reporters on Thursday, May 28, Sinarimbo said he was speaking not only for himself, but also on behalf of his political party, Serbisyong Inklusibo, Alyansang Progresibo (SIAP), which claims more than 600,000 members and supporters across the Bangsamoro region.
MNLF parliament member and Islamic theologian Abdulkarim Misuari echoed the appeal, saying Lagdameo has been instrumental in helping sustain the gains of the groupโs 1996 final peace agreement with the Philippine government.
โLagdameo has been our steady and reliable partner,โ Misuari said. โOfficials of the MNLF in the Bangsamoro Parliament and members of its central committee also want him retained.โ
Misuari is the son of MNLF founding chair Nur Misuari, who once served as regional governor of the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) replaced ARMM in 2019, following the signing of the 2012 Framework Agreement and the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoroโpeace deals forged between the MILF and the government after 22 years of negotiations.
BARMM officials, including those from the MNLF and MILF, now jointly manage various regional agencies. For them, Lagdameo has served as a bridge between the Bangsamoro government and Malacaรฑang.
As Marcos moves to reorganize his Cabinet, several lawmakers in Cotabato City hope he keeps that bridge intact.
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