Talks with MILF on despite alleged terror ties

Despite its war against terrorism, the government is bent on resuming peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) next month.

"The government’s campaign against terrorism will not be compromised in any degree by the peace talks between the government and the MILF," Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in a statement from Malacañang yesterday.

"The MILF has long renounced terrorism, and we are banking on their commitment to help the government in the anti-terrorism drive, which both sides consider indispensable to the pursuit of long-lasting peace."

Bunye said the government will press the war against terrorism following reports that six Indonesians arrested by Malaysian police had trained in a Jemaah Islamiyah camp in Mindanao.

Earlier, President Arroyo said the arrest of the six suspected terrorists was the result of the anti-terrorist pact signed by the Philippines with Malaysia and Indonesia.

"This is a transnational effort that brings Malaysia and the Philippines along a common front, and our success can be attributed to the solidarity of the nations in the region," she said.

The six Indonesians were arrested two months ago near Tawau town in eastern Sabah, where they made a stopover on their way home to Indonesia from Mindanao.

Meanwhile, the United States has no plans to replace Malaysia as chief mediator in the peace negotiations between the government and the MILF since the talks will be held in Kuala Lumpur.

"We have no desire to replace Malaysia in their role as mediator in the peace process," said US Embassy spokeswoman Karen Kelley.–Marichu Villanueva, Edith Regalado