Palace has 'high hopes' on Monday's peace talks with MILF

Malacañang has high hopes the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) can make further progress in the peace process with the next round of peace talks in Malaysia starting August 22. But deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte declined to discuss the details of the talks, saying such matters are best left to the government negotiating panel. “We have high hopes for the talks. Hopefully makikita natin ang bunga niyan pagkatapos," she said on government-run dzRB radio. She added the government wants to go one step further towards a “long and sustainable" peace in pushing through with the talks. The government and the MILF are to resume peace talks in Kuala Lumpur Aug. 22, weeks after President Benigno Aquino III quietly met with MILF officials in Japan last Aug. 4. Also, Valte declined to comment on a supposed WikiLeaks report indicating the MILF will not let go of the Liguasan Marsh in Mindanao, believed to be rich in natural gas deposits. A Singapore-based freelance journalist posted on his blog the supposed WikiLeaks-sourced diplomatic cable message sent to Washington DC from the US Embassy in February 2006 when Kristie Kenney was still ambassador to Manila. Admitting she was “not entirely familiar with the subject" of the Liguasan Marsh, Valte said questions on the subject should be addressed by the government negotiating panel. — LBG, GMA News