US senator 'cautiously optimistic' about Bangsamoro deal

MANILA, Philippines - United States Senator John McCain hailed the Philippines' move to curb the conflict in Mindanao through the Bangsamoro peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

"I am cautiously optimistic that, if implemented, it will help to curtail a century of conflict in the Philippines," McCain said in a statement, adding that the peace agreement is "very encouraging" in the face of the years-long struggle.

McCain hailed President Benigno Aquino III, under whose watch the negotiations between government and the insurgents prospered.

He also said the US, an old Philippine ally, should be prepared to support the Philippines in what has been said to be a challenging process of the accord's implementation.

"Much work has yet to be done to ensure that this vital agreement translates into both passable legislation and a peaceful transition of authority and security on Mindanao," McCain said.

The senator, which last visited the Philippines in 2012 to discuss regional maritime disputes and the Mindanao peace process, maintained the the Filipino people deserve to live in a society free from hostilities.

"The Philippine people have high expectations for peace – expectations they deserve to have met – and it is my hope that this agreement will at last deliver on those aspirations," he said.

Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Deles had said that the MILF can already start dismantling their armed strength as early as May this year, citing the normalization annex of the peace accord.

Read: Normalization starts in May