MILF separatists offer 10-day truce

MILF separatists offer 10-day truce

PHILIPPINES: Muslim separatists declared on Wednesday a 10-day unilateral cease-fire from next week to give peace talks a chance to resume in the troubled southern Philippines, 12 days into a campaign of punitive strikes ordered by President Gloria Arroyo.

Arroyo in a statement welcomed the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)'s offer as "a positive and welcome development", but urged them to do more by complying with an earlier government demand to turn over suspected bombers and cut links with terror groups.

MILF military chief Murad Ebrahim signed the cease-fire declaration, rebel spokesman Eid Kabalu said. It would start on June 2 to give MILF field commanders enough time to receive and comply with the order, he added.

Kabalu said the decision was in response to an "earnest call" from the dominant Roman Catholic Church as well as other peace advocates for an end to fighting in the Mindanao region. --AFP