World | Philippines
Moro militants deny secret talks
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) officials have categorically denied that they are holding back-channel talks with the government.
- By Gilbert Felongco, Correspondent
- Published: 23:27 December 17, 2008
Manila: Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) officials have categorically denied that they are holding back-channel talks with the government.
Khalid Mousa, deputy chairman of the MILF committee on information, said there is no informal negotiation taking place between the two parties.
"It is absolutely untrue that there is ongoing back-channeling talk with the Philippine government. There would be none. When MILF vice-chairman Alim Abdul Aziz Mimbantas met Foreign Affairs undersecretary and now government chief peace negotiator Rafael Seguis, it was no more than a form of 'socialisation' sought for by the latter," Mousa said. Mousa was referring to a recent meeting between Seguis and Mimbantas in Mindanao.
He added that the MILF will never hold negotiations with the government without the presence and knowledge of a third party facilitator. "If the government cannot be relied upon in the presence of third party facilitator, how much more if the MILF talks to them directly and secretly?" Mousa was quoted by the MILF's Luwaran as asking.
Earlier, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza was quoted by a palace released statement that peace talks between the government and MILF will take place on December 22 after President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo arrived from her official trip to Qatar.
Arroyo had been seeking Qatar's help in finding lasting peace in Mindanao during her visit to the Arabian Gulf State December 13-15 . The Philippine leader did not give any updates on this particular development since then.
Arroyo had said that the Philippines could learn something from Qatar which brokered the settlement of the Lebanese internal conflict mounted by Muslim separatists.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Delia Albert bared that Malaysia had committed to continue "to do all it can" to help the Philippines find lasting peace in Mindanao."
Albert said that during a meeting she had with Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi in Malaysia last weekend, the Malaysian leader expressed his support to the peace process in the Philippines between Moro separatists and the government.
"The Prime Minister [Badawi] reiterated his strong support for our peace process. He said that Malaysia will do all it can to help us find peace in the Southern Philippines," Albert said.
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