MILF wants truce monitors extended
“But it will be subject to the concurrence of the GRP panel and confirmation by both sides during an executive meeting before the end of the term of the IMT,” he said.
Brig. Gen. Edgardo Gurrea, chairman of the government’s Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities, said he is for the continued stay of the IMT in
“The IMT has been efficiently helping us maintain tranquility in areas covered by the ceasefire,” he said.
Members of the MILF’s central committee held a closed door meeting with Malaysian dignitaries in Shariff Kabunsuan the other day, among them the official facilitator of the peace talks, Datu Othman Abdul Razak.
Iqbal declined to reveal the agenda of the meeting, but hinted they discussed “major issues” affecting the peace process with Razak and his companions.
“The MILF peace panel appreciates the gesture of his government counterpart, retired Gen. Rudolfo Garcia, of clarifying to the Malaysian government that he was not prepared to proceed with yesterday’s supposed formal talks in Malaysia due to lack of guidelines from Malacañang on how to go about with the negotiations,” he said.
“The MILF understands the reasons of the GRP in postponing the exploratory talks scheduled on
Iqbal said the government panel told the Malaysian facilitator of the peace talks it needs enough time to seek a clearer mandate from Malacañang in pursuing the negotiations.
He further claimed that the government also needs time to drop the criminal cases filed against 67 MILF members implicated in the July 10 encounter with the Marines in Albarka, Basilan.
Fourteen Marines were killed in the ambush, 10 of them beheaded and robbed of their belongings like wristwatches, wallets and service firearms.
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