Manila revives peace talks with separatists<\/p>\n
MANILA (Agencies): The Philippines said on Thursday it was
\nreviving peace talks with Muslim separatists, a change of policy
\nfrom disgraced former president Joseph Estrada who launched a
\nfull-scale war on the rebels last year.<\/p>\n
Defense Secretary Eduardo Ermita said President Gloria Arroyo
\nwould announce members of a new government negotiating panel on
\nFriday when she visits the southern island of Mindanao, where the
\nMoro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been fighting for an
\nIslamic state for decades.<\/p>\n
Arroyo's trip will be limited to Cagayan de Oro, a largely
\nChristian city about 60 km (35 miles) from the nearest battle
\nzone.<\/p>\n
Arroyo would likely order a suspension of military operations
\n"to develop an atmosphere conducive to the peace talks", Ermita
\ntold reporters.<\/p>\n
Talks with the MILF broke down in August last year after the
\nmilitary overran several rebel bases in a major offensive ordered
\nby Estrada, who was overthrown in a "people power" revolt on Jan.
\n20.<\/p>\n
In September, the MILF called for a "jihad", or holy war,
\nagainst Manila. Police blamed a series of bomb blasts in the
\ncapital at the end of last year on Muslim rebels, but the MILF
\ndenied responsibility.<\/p>\n
The military estimates MILF strength at over 15,000.<\/p>\n
A smaller separatist group, the fundamentalist Abu Sayyaf,
\noperates mainly on the tiny islands of Basilan and Jolo, off the
\nMindanao mainland.<\/p>\n
The Abu Sayyaf gained international attention last year when
\nit seized dozens of foreign and Filipino hostages from nearby
\nMalaysian isles and from Jolo. Most of the hostages were released
\nlater on ransom or escaped, leaving American Jeffrey Schilling
\nand Filipino Roland Ullah still in the group's hands.<\/p>\n
Ermita said Arroyo was also keen on reopening talks with the
\ncommunist rebels, who operate mainly in the northern and central
\nregions of the country.<\/p>\n
Talks with the communists, who have been fighting for a
\nMarxist for more than three decades, collapsed in May 1999 after
\nthe rebels accused Manila of violating preliminary agreements.<\/p>\n
Military officials said on Thursday that some 50 MILF rebels
\nexecuted five tribesmen, took nine others hostage and looted
\ntheir remote southern village.<\/p>\n
The MILF separatists attacked on Tuesday evening after Manobo
\ntribesmen refused to support the rebel movement with food and
\ncash contributions, said Lt. Col. Danilo Servando, a military
\nspokesman.<\/p>\n
He said the rebels entered Kutungan village, some 900
\nkilometers southeast of Manila, firing indiscriminately and
\nrounding up 14 men. They shot five point-blank and took the other
\nnine to use as human shields in fighting with government troops,
\nServando said.<\/p>\n
The Manobo are a mostly animist indigenous people who
\ngenerally live off farming and fishing in the strife-torn
\nsouthern region of Mindanao.<\/p>\n
The attack came three days after the MILF raided another
\nsouthern village, prompting tribesmen to fight back with spears
\nand arrows.<\/p>\n
Also on Thursday, Philippine legislators wound up their work
\nafter impeaching the corruption-hounded president Joseph Estrada,
\na Herculean task that led to his ouster but laid waste to their
\nprincipal law-making duties.<\/p>\n
As the Senate and the House of Representatives adjourn for
\nthree months for campaigning for the May 14 general elections,
\nArroyo's government will be operating on last year's budget.<\/p>\n
A landmark bill to privatize the debt-laden state electric
\nutility also failed to make it. Officials said this would turn
\noff the tap on at least one billion dollars in foreign aid and
\npotentially exposes the country to power shortages after 2005.<\/p>\n
Senate president Aquilino Pimentel said the legislature's
\nscorecard was "so so" but "hopefully, we'll be able to recover in
\nthe next Congress."<\/p>",
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