Peace deal failure may lead to conflict

Peace deal failure may lead to conflict

MANILA (AFP): The failure to push through with a controversial peace agreement with Moslem insurgents may result in a new conflict that will further squander the resources of the Philippines, President Fidel Ramos warned here yesterday.

However if the agreement pushes through, it will pave the way for the economic development of the impoverished southern Philippines, Ramos added.

In separate speeches before provincial governors and graduates of a defense college, Ramos defended the peace agreement which is due to be signed soon with the Moslem insurgent Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

The agreement calls for the creation of an MNLF-led council that will oversee development projects in 14 provinces in the southern island of Mindanao and nearby areas for three years. This will pave the way for the creation of a Moslem autonomous region covering that area.