Manila: The Philippine government asked a formerly separatist Filipino-Muslim rebel group in the south Philippines to "step back" and "re-craft" a proposed peace settlement to reciprocate the government's efforts to reform governance, eradicate poverty and support education in the existing autonomous region for Filipino-Muslims in the southern Philippines, a government negotiator said.

"We would have to seriously re-craft the proposals that we now already have on the table," said Marvic Leonen, head of the government's negotiating team that met with the negotiators of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Milf) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

"Perhaps, we can both keep an open mind, [and] we could convince ourselves that there are goals [in these talks that are] more appropriate rather than sticking to our encrusted positions [that were aired earlier]," said Leonen.

Suspend judgment

He denied allegations of stalemate in the negotiations which became formal in 2010, at the start of the term of President Benigno Aquino, following years of informal negotiations starting 2008, during the time of former president Gloria Arroyo.

Reacting to criticism that the government failed its promise to forge a peace settlement with Milf in the first quarter of 2012, Leonen said: "Should we fail to meet these timelines, these negotiations will continue."

"I invite our counterparts to take a step back with us. Perhaps, by examining the reasons why we insist on our various positions we can see ways forward. Perhaps if both our teams can temporarily suspend judgment so that we can candidly evaluate our reasons and standpoints, see their political viability," said Leonen who pleaded for the reconciliation of the differences of the position of the government and Milf negotiating teams.

Surprisingly Milf Chair Mohagher Iqbal was not combative at the start of the peace talks in Malaysia, saying: "Under the administration of President Aquino, the Moro question will finally be settled and the commitments of the government will be followed."

He added he was "fascinated by the boldness of the Aquino administration" to pursue the end of armed conflict in Mindanao.

He did not refer to the contentious and still unresolved issues of the talks such as Milf's proposal to enlarge the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with the inclusion of more than 50 Muslim-dominated villages.