Manila: The Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) thanked the House of Representatives for passing the bill resetting the first regular parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on the second Monday of September this year.

According to Philippines News Agency, OPAPRU Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. also hailed the chamber's leadership, headed by Speaker Faustino Dy III and Majority Floor Leader Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos, for their efforts in passing the measure. The House of Representatives approved on third and final reading House Bill (HB) 8220, which was principally authored by Lanao del Sur Zia Alonto Adiong. The Senate approved a similar bill last March 2.

The OPAPRU chief also lauded Adiong for making his fellow legislators understand the profound significance of the BARMM elections and how they will enable the people of the Bangsamoro to chart the socioeconomic and political future of the region. "With the approval of the House of Representatives and the Senate of their respective bills setting the date of the BARMM polls, the Commission on Elections can now focus on the equally important task of informing the people on the guidelines of the elections, and laying the groundwork that will ensure that the highly-anticipated political exercise will be held in a peaceful, orderly and credible manner," he added.

Since BARMM's creation seven years ago, Galvez is pleased to note that the region saw a transformation that has turned it from a once conflict-ridden area into a "show window" of peace and development. "We believe that the upcoming regional elections will allow the region to sustain and build on the gains that have been achieved, while enabling its leadership to implement policies that will bring greater inclusivity, prosperity, and stability," the OPAPRU chief said.

The peace adviser also thanked lawmakers for their concern and support for the Bangsamoro people. "We look forward to your upcoming bi-cameral session, wherein you will be deliberating on the final form of the bill that will officially set the date of the BARMM elections," he added.