Palace insists Basilan clash won't derail peace talks with MILF

Despite a looming protest from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) over a bloody clash in Basilan last Wednesday, Malacañang insisted Saturday that the peace efforts will not be derailed. Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the government and the MILF’s top hierarchy remain in touch and will not allow the incident to affect the peace process. "Both Malacañang (through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process) and the hierarchy of the MILF are in touch. So far they are one in saying they will not allow this to affect the peace process," he said in a press conference at the military’s Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City. He maintained that the peace process "will not be delayed" despite the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the MILF’s protests against each other. [See: AFP, MILF exchange charges of cease-fire violation] Remonde declined to comment further on the matter. "We’d rather discuss these things in the proper forum and that is the peace process," he added. The Philippine government and the MILF took steps to revive their peace efforts last July, with each side declaring a suspension of military operations. Talks between both sides were stalled in August 2008 after the Supreme Court thumbed down a memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain, prompting "rogue" MILF units to conduct attacks in some Mindanao areas. For his part, First Marine Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Rustico Guerrero said the MILF members who joined the fight in Basilan did so on their own lookout. Guerrero said the military had already coordinated with the MILF in Basilan through Tipo-Tipo Mayor Tong Istarul. "If there are some elements in the local level who joined, that is their own lookout," he said. MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu on Friday admitted that MILF members were among those killed in the fighting and that some MILF members were relatives of the Abu Sayyaf. In the meantime, Guerrero said a naval blockade remains in effect around Basilan. "We are maximizing the use of our naval assets to conduct maritime interdiction operations in the affected areas. Every time we conduct punitive actions against this group there is a major effort on the part of the Navy in protecting the waters of Basilan," he said. - GMANews.TV