‘Name new peace panel member’

DAVAO CITY — President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is being asked to name another member of the government panel negotiating peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) after Cotabato City Mayor Muslimin Sema refused to take the post.

Sema declined to accept the appointment after noting that certain issues in the 1996 peace agreement between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), of which he is a ranking official, still have to be resolved.

The President earlier appointed Presidential Assistant for Mindanao Jesus Dureza as head of the government panel, with Lanao Sur Gov. Mahid Mutilan, civic leader Irene Santiago, former Mindanao State University president Emily Mohamhaser and Sema, as members.

Dureza said the panel leaves it up to the President to name Sema’s replacement since she is the sole appointing authority.

Sema made it clear that he would take part in the ongoing peace negotiations only as an adviser to the government panel.

Sema said it would seem awkward for him to take part in another negotiation, considering that there are still a number of issues that have to be ironed out in the 1996 peace agreement.

Meanwhile, the government and MILF panels are set to hold backchannel talks here today to pave the way for the full resumption of the formal peace talks.