GMA: MILF must give up terror to resume talks

Moro separatists must eschew "terrorism" and surrender killers from their ranks if shelved peace talks are to resume, President Arroyo said Wednesday as troops killed seven guerrillas.

Arroyo canceled preliminary talks aimed at ending the decades-old rebellion on Tuesday in reaction to a series of deadly attacks by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) on civilian targets in northern and central Mindanao.

She offered nearly one million dollars in rewards for information leading to the arrest of five top MILF leaders blamed for the attacks that have left at least 83 people dead and hundreds wounded since March, and authorized the army to launch "punitive" action against the rebels.

"We shall not appease those who kill and maim the innocent. We shall not allow the peace talks to be held hostage by the threat of terror," Arroyo said in a statement.

She said: "No more double talk. The MILF must unequivocally and unambiguously renounce terrorism in the pursuit of its objectives," and surrender "all those who have engaged in terrorist acts before expecting any relief from legal sanctions and punitive actions."

Government troops killed seven MILF rebels and captured a guerrilla leader in a clash near the town of Pantao Ragat Monday, the army said.

Malaysia was to have hosted the May 9-11 talks in Kuala Lumpur.

The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), including Philippine neighbors Malaysia and Indonesia, had been fostering contact between the government and the MILF.

Arroyo said Manila would "bring its case before Malaysia and Indonesia, the OIC and the whole Islamic world," regarding the threat of the MILF.

"We shall combine military action, stringent legal measures, community preparedness and full diplomatic pressure to bear upon this threat," she added.

She warned communities to be on guard against possible attacks.

The 12,500-strong MILF has been waging a 25-year campaign for an Islamic state in Mindanao.

Key leaders of the group have been charged in court over an airport bomb attack in Davao City in March that left 22 people dead.