The normalization track of the BARMM is progressing “slowly”, its top official said Wednesday.

“The achievements on the political track have been consistent and substantial. The normalization process, on the other hand, is a mixed bag of progress and wanting for more. According to the third-party monitoring team, the progress on the normalization. track has been comparatively slow,” BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim said in an online forum.

“While there has been remarkable progress in the decommissioning of MILF combatants and their weapons, other components of the normalization process have advanced more slowly,” he added.

According to Ebrahim, the disbandment of private armed groups still poses a challenge to the region and transitional justice efforts that aim to address the grievances of war victims have been delayed.

He said that normalization provisions should be implemented carefully to “ensure a smooth transition of combatants and productive civilian life. And more importantly, attain peace, justice development in the Bangsamoro region.”

“Significant progress in normalization is vital not only for attaining relative peace, but also more importantly, essential for embracing and fostering greater development,” Ebrahim said.

“Notwithstanding the mentioned challenges, we remain confident that the normalization track will be able to catch up with the political track,” he added.

Ebrahim said that the BARMM was in its fifth year of its establishment since its creation through a plebiscite in 2019.

He noted that the extended transition period of their government has allowed the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to finish the remaining transition priorities and fundamental laws needed for the BARMM’s first parliamentary elections in 2025.

Ebrahim said the BTA has passed 58 laws and 444 resolutions, including the Administrative Code, the Electoral Code, and the Educational Code among others.

He added that they have also enacted the creation of eight new municipalities from the 63 barangays of the region.

Cesar Yano, the presidential assistant of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) said that as part of the government’s catch-up strategy, it has to implement remaining deliverables such as decommissioning 14,000 combatants and 2,450 weapons under the fourth and final phase of the normalization track. Jaspearl Tan/DMS