COTABATO CITY — A bloc in the 80-seat Bangsamoro parliament had urged President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to retain his Mindanao-based special assistant who is, for them, Malacañang’s best conduit for services related to its peace overtures with southern Moro communities.

Senior Information officers in the Bangsamoro parliament told reporters on Wednesday, that regional lawmaker Naguib G. Sinarimbo had asked President Marcos in a privilege speech last Monday to retain Special Assistant to the President Antonio Ernesto F. Lagdameo, Jr., who had reportedly complied with his directive for all members of his cabinet to tender their courtesy resignation.

Mr. Lagdameo was appointed special assistant to the president (SAP) in 2022 and has since been supporting the peace and community development efforts of the Moro Islamic Liberation and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), according to Mr. Sinarimbo.

Mr. Sinarimbo confirmed to reporters that officials of the Cotabato City chapter of his political party, the Serbisyong Inklusibo, Alyansang Progresibo, have joined his bid for President Marcos to sustain his linkages with the Moro sectors through Mr. Lagdameo.

“SAP Lagdameo has strong connectivity with us in the Bangsamoro region. He has a good understanding of the deep intricacies and ramifications of the national government’s peace process for the Moro communities. We want him there in the Office of the President as its direct link to our communities,” Mr. Sinarimbo told reporters.

Abdulkarim T. Misuari, a senior representative of the MNLF to the 80-member Bangsamoro parliament, said Mr. Lagdameo has also been helping them sustain the gains of their September 1996 peace compact with the national government.

“He (Lagdameo) has been our steady and strong partner in sustaining the gains of the peace process between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front. Officials of the Moro National Liberation in the Bangsamoro parliament and the members of its central committee want the President to keep him as his special assistant,” Mr. Misuari said. — John Felix M. Unson

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