United in Serving the People: ARMM Regional Governor Mujiv Hataman's Congratulatory Message to President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President-Elect Leni Robredo

Today, May 30, 2016, we turn another page in our history as we welcome those who will be at the forefront in leading our country for the next six years.

We would like to extend our sincerest congratulations to our President-elect, Rodrigo Duterte, and our Vice President-Elect, Leni Robredo. Both of them have proven their mettle in empowering the oppressed and marginalized sectors of society, and both of them have made it a priority to empower the people in their years of public service

Official election figures show that both President-elect Duterte and Vice President-elect Robredo have won the trust of the Bangsamoro people. With a solid track record as local officials, both of them represent an administration that will find its strength in participatory governance and empowered local government units. Their win, therefore, bears greater significance when placed beside our collective effort towards a national government where regions like the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) can expect their peoples' voices to be heard and where the concerns of those in the regions are part and parcel of the national agenda.

Here in the ARMM, we have done much in more than seventeen years of working together towards peace, and the next six years bring much promise. Upon taking the helm of the national government, we hope that the commitment of both our president-elect and vice president-elect have expressed during the campaign with regard to the peace process will bear fruit. May their leadership translate to further acknowledging the historical injustices committed against the people of Mindanao, to empowering those whose histories are yet to find a place in the national narrative, and to recognizing the rights of the people, including the right to self-determination.

We share in their victory, and we find hope in the leadership that President-elect Duterte and Vice President-elect Robredo will bring to the table. Together, we look forward to bringing this country closer to a future where lasting peace and genuine justice for all is not just an aspiration but a way of life.