April 16, 2001, The Philippine Star, MILF rebs form panel for talks, by Aurea Calica,

April 16, 2001, The Philippine Star, MILF rebs form panel for talks, by Aurea Calica,

Muslim guerrillas are forming a negotiating panel for planned talks with the government aimed at ending decades of separatist rebellion in Mindanao.

Eid Kabalu, spokesman for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), said the formation of the five-member panel is the final step needed to ensure the start of formal peace talks in three months.

"This shows our commitment to resume the talks. That's a firm commitment," he said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press.

Kabalu said the MILF panel members would later meet with government officials to decide the opening date of the talks. They would also discuss the venue, which could be in Malaysia, Indonesia or Libya, he said.

President Arroyo has prioritized the resumption of talks with the MILF and the communist National Democratic Front (NDF) since she took power in January. She has declared unilateral ceasefires with both groups and ordered the release of political prisoners to foster the talks.

Kabalu said the MILF's central committee decided last week to form the panel in compliance with a March 24 agreement with government officials to resume peace talks.

He declined to immediately identify the members of the MILF panel, saying he would first notify the government about it. However, many believe it will likely be led by Al Haj Murad, the MILF's vice chairman who headed a delegation in earlier meetings in Kuala, Lumpur, Malaysia.

In those meetings, Murad and other rebel leaders met with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad, who expressed support for the peace talks. Kabalu said Mahathir was concerned with the ill-effects the fighting in Mindanao may bring Malaysia and other countries in Southeast Asia.

As this developed, some officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) expressed uneasiness and even resentment over the government's apparent decision to hold peace negotiations with communist and Muslim rebels without consulting and coordinating with them.

The officials, who requested anonymity, said the DFA was shocked when the government suddenly announced that talks with the NDF and the MILF would be held abroad.

They noted that authorities had already agreed that peace talks would be held only within the country. The sudden decision to hold it abroad, they said, surprised even Vice President and Foreign Secretary Teofisto Guingona.

"Most senior and junior officers here believe the peace negotiations, especially with the MILF, should not be held abroad for security reasons," they said.

Guingona was not immediately available for comment.

The peace talks with the NDF are being planned to be held in Oslo, Norway although Norwegian authorities have expressed uneasiness at hosting the talks, saying they have not received any formal request from the Philippine government for the negotiations. -- Aurea Calica