R.P. to ask Malaysia to woo MILF to peace table

President Arroyo will seek Malaysia's help in bringing Moro separatists to the negotiating table and end escalating violence in the southern Philippines, sources said Tuesday.

"The President will dispatch a special envoy tomorrow to meet with the acting Malaysian prime minister in a new bid to help end this bloodshed," the source said.

The government has blamed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for last week's deadly blast at the Davao City International Airport, the series of bombings of power transmission lines and for a hostage-taking incident that left two government troops dead, among other violence in Mindanao in recent weeks.

Presidential envoy Roberto Romulo is scheduled to hold talks with acting Malaysian premier Abdullah Badawi in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday, the source said, adding that Manila wanted to prod Malaysia to "play a more active role" in the peace process.

The source declined to elaborate on the topic of discussions but pointed out that Romulo, a former foreign minister and a close friend of Abdullah, was carrying a "special note" from Arroyo.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is on leave, reportedly gave Arroyo an "open-ended" offer during their talks last month for Kuala Lumpur to host peace talks between Manila and the MILF, the biggest Filipino Muslim separatist group.

Malaysia has been acting only as a facilitator in the negotiations so far.

The 12,500-strong MILF has been waging a 25-year-old guerrilla campaign to set up an Islamic state in the southern third of the largely Catholic Philippines.

In a related development, Foreign Secretary Blas Ople has called for a meeting with Manila-based ambassadors of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) member nations on Thursday, diplomats said.

The objective of the meeting was not immediately available.

Aside from Malaysia, Libya is also involved in talks to lure the MILF to the peace table.

The MILF and Manila signed a peace accord in Kuala Lumpur in 2001 but the agreement was shattered last month when the Philippine military launched a massive offensive against the rebels which left about 200 people dead, mostly MILF fighters.

The government said it was forced to attack the camp because it was allegedly used by the MILF to shelter terrorists, kidnappers and other lawless elements.

The offensive led to a declaration of an all-out war by MILF chairman Hashim Salamat.

In another development, Muslim leaders at the First Mindanao Leaders Forum called for a cease-fire with the MILF and a halt to military operations in Mindanao, ABS-CBN News reported Tuesday.

The leaders recommended issuing a safe conduct pass to MILF leaders, including Salamat. They also urged the government to withdraw the murder raps filed against Salamat and other MILF leaders last week.

An investigation has indicated that a group member allegedly triggered the Davao airport blast that killed 21 people, including the suspected bomber, and wounded more than 150 others.

Warrants of arrests against Salamat and his lieutenants have also been issued over a separate bomb attack that killed at least nine people in December.

The MILF has denied the charges.

Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes on Monday said the government was considering tagging the MILF as a terrorist organization, but added that this would jeopardize the peace talks.
abs-cbnNEWS.com monitor

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