Manila, MILF officials meet

The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have agreed to respond to counter-accusations of ceasefire violations within seven days.

If the reported ceasefire violation is not resolved at their level, the complaint will be elevated to the government and the MILF panels, the MILF and the government's coordinating committees on cessation of hostilities said in a joint statement after a meeting in Cotabato City.

The two sides said they have found ways to safeguard the ceasefire agreements, which they had signed in 1997, both at the start of the talks and in 2001.

The two sides also "agreed to adhere to implementing guidelines on the security aspect of the agreement on peace, particularly on the display of firearms in public."

The two sides agreed to approve a format of the conduct passes they would carry to avoid arrest.

The two panels adopted training modules for local monitoring teams. They created an ad hoc joint training committee which will "provide administrative and technical supervision in the implementation of the training programme."

The two panels will meet in the next two weeks to plan their first joint capability-building workshop.

The MILF is a faction of the mainstream Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) which forged a pro-autonomy peace settlement with the government in 1996.

The Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) is brokering the on and off government-MILF peace talks.