Gov't, Muslim rebels achieve 'substantial progress': official

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the largest Muslim rebel group in the country, have made "substantial progress" in their peace process since the signing of the framework agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) a year ago, a senior government official said today.

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte in a news briefing said that it has been a year since the FAB was signed on October 15, 2012.

"If you look at the progress, it's pretty much substantial," she said, adding, "we remain optimistic that this will go according to our plan."

She said that there could be observations that the process of completing the two remaining annexes on power-sharing and normalization of the FAB might be slow.

The government and the MILF have been eyeing to forge a comprehensive peace agreement within the year.

But in order to sign a comprehensive pact, both panels have to complete all the four annexes of the FAB, a road map for the creation of a Bangsamoro government that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and will end the four-decade armed struggle in southern Philippines.