President Marcos swears in Mel Senen Sarmiento as peace adviser

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administered the oath of office to Mel Senen Sarmiento as the new head of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) at Malacañang Palace on Wednesday (April 22).

Sarmiento has been appointed to replace Carlito Galvez Jr., who has decided to step down from the position to spend more time with his family.

As the new OPAPRU chief, Sarmiento will lead government efforts to push inclusive peace initiatives, strengthen collaboration with stakeholders, and sustain programs aimed at supporting unity and development in conflict-affected and vulnerable communities.

Sarmiento brings decades of experience in public service and currently serves as the chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Galing Pook Foundation, a role he has held since November 2021.

He previously served as Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government under the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III from 2015 to 2016.

Before joining the Cabinet, he represented Samar’s 1st District in Congress from 2010 to 2015. He also served as the mayor of Calbayog City for three terms from 2001 to 2010 and as vice mayor from 1992 to 1995.

He has received several national distinctions, including the Order of Lakandula (Rank of Gold Cross), the Order of Sikatuna (Grand Cross, Datu), and the Presidential Medal of Merit. He is also an honorary member of the Philippine Military Academy Maharlika Class of 1984.

The OPAPRU, formerly known as the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, was originally established in 1993 through Executive Order No. 125 to oversee the government’s peace framework. Its mandate was later strengthened in 2001 through Executive Order No. 3.

In 2021, the entity was renamed through Executive Order No. 158. This order expanded its mandate to cover the Comprehensive Peace Process and to promote reconciliation and national unity.

-Paraluman News