GMA to brief OIC on Mindanao dev’t plans

President Arroyo will discuss the government’s peace and development efforts in Mindanao with ambassadors of countries belonging to the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) when she visits New York on Sept. 28.

Speaking at the 613th foundation anniversary of the Sultanate of Sulu, Mrs. Arroyo said she will lobby for the grant of "observer status" for the Philippines at the OIC with the help of Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

"I’m going to talk with Prime Minister Mahathir about our peace process and I’m going to talk to the ambassadors of the OIC to talk about the application of the Philippines for observer status at the OIC," she said.

"So I said before I go there and talk with Prime Minister Mahathir and ambassadors of OIC nations, I should first go to Sulu to look into projects which I can report about the development of Sulu," the President said.

Mrs. Arroyo flew to Jolo, Sulu yesterday, along with several Cabinet members and Armed Forces chief Gen. Narciso Abaya, to check on the government’s peace and development efforts.

Mahathir had invited Mrs. Arroyo to speak before the OIC summit after Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas Ople and chief government peace negotiator Eduardo Ermita and Gov. Farouk Hussin of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao attended the 30th OIC meeting in Iran last May 25-31.

In Davao City, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has rejected Ermita’s demand to drop the criminal charges against at least 200 leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

"The peace talks could continue even with the bombing cases in court," he said. "There will be no compromise in the cases already filed in court."

Duterte said the peace process will have no bearing on the continued trial of the multiple murder and multiple frustrated murder charges against the suspects in the bombings at Davao International Airport and Sasa Wharf last March and April.

"We need to go back to the negotiating table," he said. "It is for the great interest of the nation. We need to talk to solve the peace problem."

Justice should be given to the victims of the bombings, Duterte added.

Ermita had reportedly asked Duterte to agree to the dropping of the criminal charges to pave the way for the MILF to return to the negotiating table.

Last July, a regional trial court lifted the warrants of arrest against 10 MILF leaders, including its late chairman Hashim Salamat to allow them to take part in scheduled peace talks.

Of the 200 MILF leaders and commanders who were included in the criminal charges, only five have been detained.– Marichu Villanueva, Edith Regalado, Roel Pareño