Gov’t, MILF agree on territorial issue

The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have made an important breakthrough in their latest round of peace talks held in Malaysia.

The latest talks ended Friday with a breakthrough on the central contentious issue of "ancestral domain," according to a joint statement signed by Philippine chief government negotiator Silvestre Afable Jr. and MILF head negotiator Mohagher Iqbal.

President Arroyo, on the other hand, said she was grateful that strong development and declared peace "is finally within reach in Mindanao."

Mrs. Arroyo expressed hopes that the signing of a key accord on ancestral domain, described as the most difficult hurdle in the negotiations, would take place before yearend.

She said that formal peace talks could now be held with a final peace agreement forged soon after.

The government and the MILF signed a ceasefire in 2001 and opened peace talks.

But one of the contentious issues was the MILF’s demand for recognition of their "ancestral domain," or areas once inhabited by Muslims in the southern region of Mindanao.

The latest talks ended "with the parties successfully concluding the most difficult hurdle in the ancestral domain agenda," the joint statement said.

"With this breakthrough, the peace process is on track to complete the ancestral domain agenda before the end of the year," following the talks held in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday and Friday, the statement added.

Officials previously said recognizing "ancestral domain" issues might infringe on existing property rights and areas under the jurisdiction of local governments.

Muslims, who once inhabited most of the southern Philippines, have complained that they had been eased out of many of their territories by centuries of Christian migration.

The issue over ancestral domain was included in the two previous agreements signed, or Security 2001 and Rehabilitation and Development 2002, which completed the requirements of the Tripoli Agreement on Peace of 2001.

During the talks last Friday, both sides also recognized the need to wind up military operations in Mindanao against other armed groups not covered by the ceasefire.

They also called for "closer coordination" to prevent clashes between the military pursuing the criminal gangs and MILF fighters who are in the area.

This was in reference to continuing military pursuit against the Abu Sayyaf bandits in central Mindanao.

Some military officials accuse the MILF of coddling the rebels in violation of the ceasefire conditions.

Both sides agreed that "appropriate relief and livelihood assistance" would be extended to civilian communities affected by the operation against the Abu Sayyaf.

Both the Philippine government and the MILF thanked Malaysia, Libya and Brunei for providing international monitors to oversee the ceasefire and said "other countries will be invited to participate in the monitoring process."

Malaysia has been mediating peace talks between Manila and the 12,000-strong MILF that has been fighting for more than two decades to set up an Islamic state in the southern third of the Philippines.

A Malaysian official said the negotiations had been "extremely crucial" for a final peace agreement to end Asia’s longest-running insurgency.

"There will be more meetings, but a final peace agreement is very much on track," the official said.

President Arroyo, who is due to return today from the United States where she attended the United Nations World Summit and the UN Security Council meeting in New York, said she had a meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and told him the development.

"And I thanked him (Badawi) for his continuing support of the Mindanao peace process," Mrs. Arroyo said.

The President assured that the Philippine government would continue "to work with all leaders and stakeholders, world allies, and beside the Filipino people in hammering out a new political, economic and social framework that will bring about a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in Mindanao under the aegis of the Constitutional democracy."

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the government is on track in its effort to secure enduring peace and economic development to improve the lives of the people in Mindanao.

"We commend the GRP Peace Panel headed by Secretary Silvestre Afable and the MILF Peace Panel chaired by Mohagber Iqbal for consensus points reached in the ancestral domain agenda," Ermita said. - With AFP, AP