Philippine president meets rebel leader near Tokyo

Aug 5, 2011, 5:44 GMT

Manila - Philippine President Benigno Aquino III and the leader of the country's largest Muslim rebel group met secretly in Japan in a bid to fast track peace talks aimed at ending nearly four decades of Islamic insurgency, the government said Friday.

Aquino and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Murad Ebrahim met late Thursday for nearly two hours at a hotel near Tokyo's Narita International Airport, a government statement said.

'President Benigno Aquino III marked this historical date with much hope and positivity as he met with MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and discussed possible approaches in moving the peace process forward,' the statement said.

Aquino was accompanied by senior officials, including Defence Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, National Security Adviser Cesar Garcia, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad and government chief negotiator Marvic Leonen.

Murad was joined by some members of the MILF central committee, the rebel group's negotiating panel and senior guerrilla commanders.

Leonen said it was the first time that a Philippine president had met with the head of the MILF since the rebel group first entered into negotiations with the government 14 years ago.

He described the meeting as 'cordial but consisted of a frank and candid exchange of their views about the frames of the continuing peace talks and some possible approaches that the parties can take to bring about a peaceful settlement.'

'Both agreed that the implementation of any agreement should happen within the current administration,' he said. 'Both agreed to fast track the negotiations.'

Aquino revived peace negotiations with the MILF immediately after he was sworn into office last year.

Peace negotiations between the MILF and the government of former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo collapsed in 2008 after the Supreme Court declared as unconstitutional a key agreement with the guerrillas.

The 12,000-strong MILF has been fighting for an independent state in the southern region of Mindanao since 1978. It entered into peace negotiations with the government in 1997.

The two panels are scheduled to meet within the month for another round of negotiations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which is mediating in the peace talks.

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