Non-members among MILF peace panelists

COTABATO CITY — The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has organized a new peace panel to negotiate with the Arroyo government, a group surprisingly composed mostly of non-MILF members.

Various sectors in Central Mindanao, including the business community, hailed the development, describing it as another big leap in efforts to peacefully resolve the nagging security problems in Central Mindanao.

MILF legal counsel Lanang Ali said their new set of negotiators will be led by Al-Haj Murad, MILF vice chairman for military affairs.

The MILF’s reclusive leader, Hashim Salamat, disbanded in August last year their previous peace panel to protest the military’s takeover of all their enclaves in different parts of Mindanao, including Camp Abubakar, their main stronghold at the border of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur.

Ali was himself named member of the new MILF peace panel. The other panelists are former Maguindanao Rep. Michael Mastura, Iligan City lawyer Allan Flores and Dr. Ahmad Alonto, an influential Maranaw leader in Lanao del Sur.

Mastura, a popular lawyer-historian, belongs to Maguindanaoan royalty.

Presidential Assistant for Mindanao Jesus Dureza, who chairs the government peace panel, said he is optimistic that with the new set of MILF negotiators, the stalled peace talks can resume soon.

"This development augurs well for Malacañang’s efforts to fully revive the peace talks," Dureza told The STAR.

MILF leaders declared a truce two weeks ago.

Members of the business community in Central Mindanao said they are confident that the revival of the government-MILF talks will subsequently improve the region’s business climate.

"We are happy that both sides are now doing their best in working out the resumption of the peace talks," said hotel owner Antonio Santos, chairman of the Metro Cotabato Chamber of Commerce (MCCC).

The MCCC will host the Min—danao Business Conference here on Aug. 10.