Muslim separatists hail peace deal with Philippines

Muslim separatists hail peace deal with Philippines

MANILA (AFP): Muslim separatist rebels on Saturday hailed a
landmark ceasefire signed with the Philippines government, saying
it would kick-start desperately needed economic development in
the war-ravaged south.

The accord, signed in Libya late Friday, would strengthen "the
peace process," said Eid Kabalu, the spokesman for the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which has been waging a 23-year
armed rebellion seeking an independent Islamic state.

Kabalu said the deal, signed in the Libyan capital of Tripoli,
would lead to the "introduction of economic development in
Mindanao," the impoverished Muslim southern third of
predominantly Roman Catholic Philippines.

However Kabalu said the MILF had not given up its demand for
independence, stressing that no "political issues were tackled
during the talks."

The deal was brokered over two days under the supervision of
Seif al-Islam, who heads a Libyan charity foundation.

It will allow hundreds of thousands of families displaced by
the rebellion to return to their homes without fear of getting
caught in crossfire.

President Gloria Arroyo's spokesman, Rigoberto Tiglao, said
the ceasefire could be a prelude to a final political solution on
the Muslim separatist problem.

The 12,500-strong MILF is the country's main Muslim separatist
group. It splintered from the larger Moro National Liberation
Front (MNLF) in 1978, and was left out of a 1996 peace accord
between Manila and the MNLF.

A smaller group, the Abu Sayyaf, is holding more than two
dozen US and Filipino hostages in southern Basilan province.

In a related development, the media reported on Saturday that
the Abu Sayaff had executed two Filipino hostages on the
outskirts of the Basilan island capital, Isabela, and left a
mocking note for troops hunting them.

Two other headless bodies were also found near the town of
Tuburan on the island's north coast, where the guerrillas said
they executed American hostage Guillermo Sobero.

The remains near Tuburan were not immediately identified but
police said they were also Filipinos.

The bodies dumped in a forested area near Isabela though were
identified as Primitivo Falcasantos and Crisanto Suelo, who were
among the 26 Filipino and US hostages held by the Abu Sayyaf.

"We recovered this morning the bodies believed to be those of
Falcasantos and Suelo," Senior Inspector Jerry Bayabos of the
Basilan police said.